The ideal of remaining on one’s land despite threats of expulsion is at the heart of the Palestinians’ struggle and self-identity, and was on vivid display last week when hundreds of thousands returned to northern Gaza despite its near-total destruction.

In interviews, some Palestinians said they would rather leave Gaza, given the inescapable devastation — but the decision was theirs, not Trump’s, to make.

Experts say a proposal to move all Palestinians out of Gaza and remake it as a U.S. territory would be time-consuming, extraordinarily costly and probably a violation of international law.