Israel -minister asks the army to plan Palestinians to leave Gaza

Israeli Defense Minister has asked his military to prepare a plan to “allow any resident of Gaza who wants to leave it”, in line with President Donald Trump’s proposal that the United States will take over the territory and resume the 2.1 million Palestinians there.

Israel Katz said the Gazans should have “free movement and migration,” and countries critical of Israeli’s war with Hamas were “committed” to take them in.

The US Secretary of State, meanwhile, insisted that the resettlement would be temporary during Gaza’s reconstruction, although Trump had said it would be permanent.

Palestinian leaders and Arab states have rejected the plan and said forced displacement would violate international law.

The UN Secretary -General has also warned that it is “important to avoid any kind of ethnic purification” and emphasized that Gaza would be an integral part of a future Palestinian state.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross -border attacked on October 7, 2023, when approx. 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

More than 47,550 people have been killed and 111,600 wounded in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-driven Ministry of Health.

Most of Gaza’s population has also been displaced several times, and almost 70% of its buildings are estimated to be destroyed or damaged.

Health care, water, sanitation and hygiene have collapsed and there is a lack of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.