Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday that he has instructed the military to prepare a plan for the evacuation of a large number of Palestinians from Gaza via land, sea, and air routes.
Katz welcomed what he called U.S. President Donald Trump’s “bold plan” to evacuate Gaza’s residents from the territory devastated by Israeli ground and air strikes targeting Hamas militants.
Palestinian officials rejected President Trump’s plan, which suggests that the United States take control of the Gaza Strip and force the relocation of 2 million Palestinians to other countries.
Trump said the region along the Mediterranean Sea would be transformed into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
During a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, President Trump made these comments.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Palestinians could leave Gaza while it is being rebuilt and then return.
“It’s an incredible idea, and I think it should be examined and implemented because I believe it will create a different future for everyone,” he said.
Trump’s proposal has faced widespread criticism, including from the United Nations.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Wednesday that any forced relocation “is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday that President Trump’s proposals “have caused deep concern for some people, even terror.”
He stated that, based on international law, these proposals are unacceptable.
The Arab League, which has 22 members, said that President Trump’s plan “is a recipe for instability” and contradicts the vision for a Palestinian state.
The United States has long supported a two-state solution to end the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“They should be allowed to return home,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday.
“They should be allowed to rebuild, and we should help them in this process, and on the path to a two-state solution,” he added.
Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Spain all expressed support for a two-state solution after Trump’s proposal.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations “to protect the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights.”
He added that Trump’s plan for Gaza would be “a serious violation of international law.”
The militant group Hamas also labeled President Trump’s proposal for Gaza as “a recipe for chaos and tension in the region.”
“Instead of holding the Zionist occupiers accountable for their crimes of genocide and displacement, they are rewarded and not punished,” Hamas said.
Before President Trump announced the plan for the United States to take control of Gaza, Egypt and Jordan had rejected his suggestion made a few days earlier that Palestinians from Gaza be relocated to these countries.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing the need to rebuild Gaza “without displacing Palestinians from the region.”
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Wednesday that the expulsion of the population from the Israeli-occupied region would be illegal.
“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law and must be upheld by all states, as recently emphasized by the International Court of Justice. Any forced transfer or expulsion of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited,” said Turk in a statement.
Later, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech that “in seeking solutions, we must not worsen the problem.” He added that it is “vital to stay true to the foundation of international law by avoiding any form of ethnic cleansing.”
Fighting in Gaza has ceased thanks to a six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a group declared a terrorist organization by the United States.
The militant group was responsible for starting the fighting in the region after a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
As a result of Israel’s counteroffensive, more than 47,500 people have been killed, more than half of whom were women and children, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which is controlled by Hamas. The Israeli military says it has killed 17,000 Hamas militants, according to VOA.
Hamas is believed to be holding around 60 hostages who are still alive.
During the first phase of the ceasefire, the militants released 18 hostages, while Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Many more are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Negotiators are working on the details of the second phase of the ceasefire, which would end the conflict, during which the remaining hostages would be freed, and the Israeli military would withdraw from Gaza.
