Israel ready to organize Palestinians’ departure from Gaza with US approval — Katz
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israeli authorities have prepared plans to organize the departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, but are awaiting US approval and a decision on countries that could receive them. He said this at a conference organized by Ynet and the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Dawn reports.
Katz’s statement
According to Katz, there will be no final resolution of the situation in Gaza without migration. He said that the Israeli government is ready to organize the departure of enclave residents by sea, air and other possible means.
Katz also said that US President Donald Trump had allegedly not abandoned the idea, but only “frozen” it while looking for countries willing to accept Palestinians. The minister called Egypt an unacceptable option and linked possible US approval to Hamas fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire agreement.
Katz also claimed, without citing a source, that allegedly 80% of Gaza’s residents want to leave the territory, but Hamas is preventing this.
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The US position and legal context
At the beginning of his second presidential term, Trump proposed that all two million Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip and that the Mediterranean territory, devastated by Israeli bombardments, be developed as an elite resort. After significant criticism, including from Egypt — the only country besides Israel that borders Gaza — Trump publicly stepped back from the proposal.
Palestinians condemned the idea, as being forced to leave their land reminds them of the Nakba — the mass displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948. When announcing a ceasefire in Gaza in October, Trump presented a 20-point plan that provided for no forced displacement of the population.
The forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz’s predecessor Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes; Israel and the United States deny these accusations. Most of Gaza’s population has already become internally displaced as a result of Israeli attacks.
