PM Edi Rama dismisses Israeli journalist’s claim as “fake news,” reaffirms solidarity with Palestinians but rules out hosting displaced Gazans.
TIRANA, Albania — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has vehemently denied reports suggesting the Balkan nation is in talks with the U.S. to resettle 100,000 refugees from Gaza, calling the claims “absolutely not true” in a fiery social media rebuttal on Thursday.
The controversy began when Israeli journalist Amit Segal posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Trump administration was negotiating with Albania’s government to accept displaced Gazans, citing unnamed Israeli sources. Segal claimed Egypt and Jordan had refused to take refugees, leaving Albania and Indonesia as “more feasible options.”
Rama swiftly rejected the allegation, stating: “I haven’t heard something so fake in quite some time. Albania has not been asked by anyone, nor can we even consider such responsibility.” He expressed solidarity with Gaza’s civilians, condemning Hamas for “dehumanizing” its people and prolonging a “hellish war” after the October 7 attacks.
Albania, a NATO member and EU candidate, maintains close ties with Israel and Arab states. Rama emphasized that while Albania recognizes Palestine as a state and supports its right to self-determination, it cannot act unilaterally in Middle Eastern conflicts. “From the heart of Europe, we cannot do more than any other European country,” he said, urging a democratic future for Palestinians free from Hamas’s influence.
The U.S. has not commented on the alleged talks. Experts suggest the report reflects growing pressure on Middle Eastern nations to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.