Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza, as Israel’s army was ordered to prepare plans for large numbers of Palestinians to leave the territory.
Trump’s plan triggered an enormous backlash, with leaders from the Middle East and beyond rejecting it as unworkable and illegal.
But Netanyahu insisted the plan - which Trump said would involve sending Gaza’s residents to neighboring countries and taking “long-term ownership” of the enclave - was a “remarkable idea.”
“The actual idea of allowing first Gazans who want to leave to leave, I mean, what is wrong with that?” he told Fox News Wednesday, adding that those who leave the strip “can come back.”
“This is the first good idea that I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued, and done because I think it will create a different future for everyone,” added Netanyahu.
Trump announced his proposal in a joint news conference at the White House with Netanyahu on Tuesday, setting off a maelstrom of criticism from rights groups who say the plan’s implementation would break international law – and would amount to ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Western allies of Washington rejected the idea of displacing people from Gaza, while leaders in the Middle East, including Gazan officials, reaffirmed their position advocating for Palestinian statehood.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Wednesday that Arab nations were planning to reconstruct Gaza while Palestinians remain in the enclave. Meanwhile, Jordan’s King Abdullah left for a visit to the United Kingdom and the US, with his country having announced it firmly opposes the plan.
…
On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare a plan “to enable the voluntary departure of Gaza residents,” according to a Defense Ministry statement.
“I welcome the bold initiative of US President Trump, which could allow a large portion of Gaza’s population to relocate to various destinations worldwide,” a statement read.
Katz said Trump’s plan “will take many years,” during which Palestinians would be integrated “into host countries while facilitating long-term reconstruction efforts in a demilitarized and threat-free Gaza in a post-Hamas era.”
The Israeli minister said countries including Spain, Ireland and Norway – who have all accused Israel of breaking international law during its military campaign in Gaza – are “legally obligated to accept any Gazan resident who wishes to enter their territory.”
…
Most of the two million people living in Gaza won’t want to leave, analysts have said, raising the question of whether they could be forcefully removed – which is prohibited under international law.
…
Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said recently that each time Israel has completed military operations in Gaza and pulled back, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge.
“We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war,” he said.