Editor’s note: Mohamed El-Bendary, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a Cairo-based freelance writer and independent researcher. His commentaries have appeared in major international media outlets. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza has sparked widespread outrage among Egyptians and people in other parts of the world, with many denouncing it as a recipe for further inflaming conflict and spreading chaos in the Middle East. Some have argued that the proposal is an endeavor to liquidate the Palestinian cause, while others have gone as far as proclaiming that former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was wrong to go to Israel and sign the 1978 Camp David Accords.  

In many ways, Trump is trying to complete what he proposed during his first term. In January 2020, he introduced a $50 billion “Peace to Prosperity” economic plan which advocated displacing Palestinians to Sinai in return for Cairo receiving more than $9 billion for its development. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s government strongly rejected the plan and cautioned that it could transform Egypt into a base for launching operations against Israel and cause clashes between the two countries.

The Palestinians’ right for a state is facing an existential threat from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Forced displacement and expulsion of Gazans from their homes amount to ethnic cleansing and is a flagrant violation of United Nations agreements and Resolution 242. It raises fear of the eruption of another Nakba, or “catastrophe,” which refers to the mass displacement and forced expulsion of Palestinians from their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.