One million Palestinians could be relocated to Libya

US plan comes as Gaza health officials say more than 250 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since Thursday

- TOM WATLING

The Donald Trump administration is considering a plan to permanently relocate as many as a million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, it has been reported.

White House sources told NBC News that the idea had been discussed with Libya’s leadership and is being seriously considered. In exchange, the Trump administration would release billions of dollars of funds to Libya that the US froze more than a decade ago.

The story was leaked as Israel’s military announced it had launched another offensive in Gaza, with the enclave’s health ministry later reporting that more than 100 people, most of whom were women and children, had been killed in airstrikes.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the US had discussed with Tripoli the possibility of releasing around $30bn (£22.6bn) in funds frozen since the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled by a Nato-backed uprising in 2011. However, this was believed to be in exchange for the US having access to the unfrozen funds itself to reinvest in Libya, and made no mention of housing displaced Palestinians.