Israel orders army to prepare for ‘voluntary departure’ of Gazans after Trump unveils plan

“I invited President Trump’s bold plan, Gaza residents should beryllium allowed the freedom to permission and emigrate, arsenic is the norm astir the world,” Katz said connected X.

Katz said his program would see exit options via onshore crossings, arsenic good arsenic peculiar arrangements for departure by oversea and air.

Hamas authoritative Basem Naim accused Katz of trying to screen up “for a authorities that has failed to execute immoderate of its objectives successful the warfare connected Gaza”, and said Palestinians are excessively attached to their onshore to ever leave.

Displacement of Palestinians is 1 of the astir delicate and explosive issues successful the Middle East. Forced oregon coerced displacement of a colonisation nether subject concern is simply a war crime, banned nether the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

Israeli strikes which killed tens of thousands of radical implicit the past 16 months person forced Palestinians to repeatedly determination astir wrong Gaza, seeking safety.

But galore accidental they volition ne'er permission the enclave due to the fact that they fearfulness imperishable displacement, similar the “Nakba”, oregon catastrophe, erstwhile hundreds of thousands were dispossessed from homes successful the warfare astatine the commencement of the authorities of Israel successful 1948.

Many were driven retired oregon fled to Gaza, the West Bank and neighbouring Arab states including to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, wherever their descendants inactive unrecorded successful exile camps. Israel disputes the relationship that they were forced out.

Katz said countries who person opposed Israel’s subject operations successful Gaza should instrumentality successful the Palestinians.
“Countries similar Spain, Ireland, Norway, and others, which person levelled accusations and mendacious claims against Israel implicit its actions successful Gaza, are legally obligated to let immoderate Gaza nonmigratory to participate their territories,” helium said.

“Their hypocrisy volition beryllium exposed if they garbage to bash so. There are countries similar Canada, which has a structured migration program, that person antecedently expressed a willingness to judge Gaza residents.”

His remarks drew speedy disapproval Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

“Gazans’ onshore is Gaza and Gaza indispensable beryllium portion of the aboriginal Palestinian state,” Albares said successful an interrogation with Spanish vigor presumption RNE.

Katz accused Hamas of holding Palestinians hostage successful Gaza, preventing their departure and extorting wealth from them done the humanitarian assistance system. He did not elaborate.

Trump’s unexpected announcement, which has sparked choler astir the Middle East, came arsenic Israel and Hamas were expected to statesman talks connected the 2nd circular of a fragile ceasefire program to extremity astir 16 months of warring successful Gaza.

International Condemnation

Trump drew rebukes connected Wednesday implicit his program for Gaza from satellite powers Russia, China and Germany, which said it would foster “new suffering and caller hatred”.

Egypt and different Arab nations powerfully reason immoderate effort to propulsion Palestinians implicit the border. They fearfulness immoderate wide question would further undermine prospects for a “two-state solution” – the thought of creating a authorities of Palestine adjacent to Israel – and permission Arab nations dealing with the consequences.

Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia rejected the connection outright and Jordan’s King Abdullah, who volition conscionable Trump astatine the White House adjacent week, said connected Wednesday helium rejected immoderate attempts to annex onshore and displace Palestinians.
In a station connected X, Iran’s overseas ministry said Trump’s program was portion of Israel’s effort to “completely hitch retired the Palestinian people”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said connected Wednesday that Trump’s connection was “remarkable” and urged that it beryllium explored, adjacent arsenic helium was not circumstantial astir what helium believed Trump was offering.

Netanyahu said helium did not judge Trump suggested sending US troops to combat Hamas successful Gaza, oregon that Washington would concern rebuilding efforts.

“This is the archetypal bully thought that I’ve heard,” helium added. “It’s a singular idea, and I deliberation it should beryllium truly pursued, examined, pursued and done, due to the fact that I deliberation it volition make a antithetic aboriginal for everyone.”

Hamas, which ruled the Gaza Strip earlier the war, said Trump’s connection was “ridiculous and absurd”.

Since Jan. 25, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Palestinians successful Gaza should beryllium taken successful by determination Arab nations specified arsenic Egypt and Jordan, an thought rejected by some the Arab states and Palestinian leaders. He has fixed nary specifics of his connection to instrumentality implicit Gaza.

Trump’s aides defended his connection but backed distant from elements of it aft planetary condemnation.
The warfare successful Gaza was triggered by an October 7, 2023 onslaught by Hamas connected Israeli territory, erstwhile fighters killed 1,200 radical and abducted much than 250 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

I person instructed the IDF to hole a program that volition let immoderate nonmigratory of Gaza who wishes to permission to bash so, to immoderate state consenting to person them.

Hamas has utilized the residents of Gaza arsenic quality shields, built its panic infrastructure successful the bosom of the civilian population,…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) February 6, 2025

Since then, U.S. state Israel’s subject battle connected Gaza has killed much than 47,000 Palestinians successful the past 16 months, according to the Gaza wellness ministry, and provoked accusations of genocide and warfare crimes that Israel denies.

The battle repeatedly internally displaced astir each of Gaza’s population, destroyed full cities and towns and caused a hunger crisis.