Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dismissed a US proposal to relocate Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip, calling it an “idiotic” plan that “will go nowhere.”
Speaking in Tehran on Tuesday during a meeting with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, Khamenei insisted that no solution for Gaza could be implemented without the consent of its people and resistance groups.
Global Backlash Against Trump’s Proposal
The remarks come in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent proposal for a US-led administration in Gaza and the potential relocation of its residents to Egypt and Jordan. The plan has drawn condemnation from Arab nations and global leaders, with the United Nations warning against what it described as “ethnic cleansing.”
Iran had already denounced the proposal as “an unprecedented attack” on international law and the UN Charter. Khamenei emphasized that global public opinion supports the Palestinian cause and criticized Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza.
Hostage-Prisoner Exchange Under Fragile Ceasefire
The ongoing conflict, which began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in a prolonged war. A fragile truce since January 19, 2025, has allowed for a phased exchange of hostages and prisoners.
So far, 19 of the 33 Israeli hostages due for release have been freed in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian detainees. Hamas announced that it would release the remaining six living hostages on Saturday, while the bodies of four deceased captives would be handed over on Thursday.
With tensions still high, the international community remains divided on the path forward for Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
