Under the proposal, the movement of Palestinians from Gaza is under the control of the Ministry of Defense.
Israel plans to establish a government agency that oversees “voluntary departures” for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that the agency is being constructed after Israeli security ministers received approval for the plan over the weekend.
The move follows a proposal from President Donald Trump that Gaza residents should be moved to other countries. Rights groups and critics around the world have said it is a cleansing of ethnic groups, and forced removal of populations from homes.
The Security Cabinet reportedly approved a proposal by Israeli Defense Minister Katz on Saturday to establish a government agency.
A spokesperson confirmed that the authorities have been established tasked with “preparing for the voluntary departure of Gaza residents to prepare for third countries in a safe and controlled manner.”
This puts immigrant administration under the control of the Ministry of Defense, she said.
Those willing to leave the sealed Gaza Strip should be allowed to do so “in compliance with Israeli and international law and in line with President Donald Trump’s vision,” a Netanyahu spokesperson continued.
The Riviera, the Middle East
Israeli nationalists have long sought the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
They pushed the idea strongly during the war with Hamas, but the Israeli government was criticized by civilian organisations for blocking humanitarian aid into the enclave to encourage people to leave.
Last month, Trump outlined plans to “acquise” the US in Gaza and resettle over 2 million Palestinians in other countries. He said he wanted to convert war-torn Palestinian territory to the “Riviera” of the Middle East.
The proposal sparked widespread international outrage, with fierce challenges from Palestinians, Arab negotiators and many other countries around the world.
A Netanyahu spokesperson did not specify which third countries are willing to cooperate with Israel in implementing the plan.
Netanyahu previously said he had “committed” to Trump’s plans “for the creation of a different Gaza,” and promised that “there are no Hamas or Palestinian authority” to control the territory after the war.
Katz in February directed the troops to plan to implement Trump’s proposals on resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Israeli Peace Movement Peace now denounced the move, labeling it “Indelible Staining of Israel” in an English post X.
“There is nothing “voluntary” about people leaving when bombings or sieges make life impossible in certain places,” the organization wrote.
There was no immediate response to confirmation of the plan from Egypt or other Arab countries.
However, they have repeatedly argued for the “two state solutions” to conflicts and the “necessity to establish an independent Palestinian state.”
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