But beneath his astonishing plan were echoes of forced displacement that have shaped Palestinian society since 1948. The establishment of Israel that year in the Arab-Israeli war is known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” because of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes.

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.

The White House is insisting that President DONALD TRUMP’s explosive suggestion that the United States could take over Gaza and relocate millions of Palestinian people should be taken both seriously and literally as lawmakers try to tamper down the idea and allies protest the dramatic proposal.

Palestinians living in Gaza widely rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. could take ownership of the war-torn Gaza Strip, saying that the president wants to rebuild Gaza without them in it.

Trump and top national security aides had spoken earlier in the day about their belief that Gaza was uninhabitable and about a proposal to relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians t