BEIRUT

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday called proposals to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan “imaginary.”

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called to take over Gaza and resettle Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan, an idea widely rejected by Palestinians and Arab leaders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also suggested last week that Palestinians should establish their state in Saudi Arabia rather than in their own homeland, dismissing any notion of Palestinian sovereignty.

“I find this talk outrageous,” Salam told the Lebanese state television.

“Not only is the idea of transferring the people of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan an imaginery issue, but transferring them to the West Bank is outrageous and unacceptable – morally, politically, and legally.”

The Lebanese premier called for “more Arab solidarity to abort these projects and prevent their implementation."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also reiterated his country’s rejection of any plans to relocate Palestinians from their land.

Speaking during a meeting with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel in Beirut, Aoun opposed any proposals “to displace Palestinians from their land or infringe upon their legitimate rights, as enshrined in UN resolutions.”

According to a statement from his office, Aoun also emphasized the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative adopted in 2002 for establishing peace in the region.

The Saudi-proposed initiative offers Israel full diplomatic recognition from the Arab states in return for an Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands.

The proposals for Palestinian displacement come amid a ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

Relations with Syria

Meanwhile, the Lebanese prime minister said that he plans to visit Syria "soon," without specifying a date.

He said his talks in Syria will take up a flurry of bilateral issues, including border demarcation and displaced Syrians in Lebanon.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the regime of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.

The next day, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the leader of the new Syrian administration, who was appointed on Jan. 29 as president, tasked Mohammed Al-Bashir with forming a government to oversee Syria’s transitional period.