Tel aviv: Israel has plans ready to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip but is waiting for the United States to determine where they could be relocated, according to Defence Minister Israel Katz. Katz made this statement at a conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
According to France24.com, the Israeli government is "organised and prepared to get them out - by sea, by air, by every way possible." However, the plan requires the approval and logistical support of the United States. The US embassy redirected requests for comments to the State Department in Washington.
US President Donald Trump, during the onset of his second term, proposed the removal of all two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, envisioning a transformation of the Mediterranean territory into a luxury resort destination. This territory has been heavily impacted by Israeli bombardment following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
The proposal to displace Palestinians faced significant opposition, including condemnation from Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, and from Palestinians themselves, who likened it to the "Nakba" or catastrophe - the mass displacement during Israel's creation in 1948. Trump later announced a Gaza war ceasefire in October, outlining 20 points that included no forced displacement.
Katz mentioned that despite President Trump's apparent retraction of the plan, discussions on the proposal continue. He emphasized the necessity of US approval and suggested that action might be taken if it becomes evident that Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire.
Katz claimed, without providing a source, that 80 percent of Gaza's population wanted to leave but were being prevented by Hamas. The forced displacement of civilians in occupied territories is classified as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz's predecessor, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes, charges that both Israel and the United States deny.
The conflict has already led to significant internal displacement within Gaza. Following the unprecedented Hamas attack, which resulted in 1,221 Israeli casualties, Israel's offensive has claimed 73,470 lives in Gaza, with over 1,330 occurring since the ceasefire, as reported by the Gaza health ministry, which operates under Hamas.