The occupation commemorates its plan to displace Gaza's residents
Plans to deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have returned to the forefront in recent days, coinciding with renewed statements by occupation officials regarding the removal of the Strip’s residents to other countries, alongside preparations for the general Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. Calls for the deportation of Gaza’s residents are no longer confined to election campaigns; the idea has gained momentum since the war on the Strip began in October 2023. It has previously been discussed by Israeli officials and is linked to ideologies embraced by Israeli movements and parties, with roots tracing back to Zionist ideas predating the 1948 Nakba.
In the latest development, far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir launched a comprehensive plan to deport approximately two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip over seven years. The plan includes expelling 250,000 Palestinians during the first year, with the number reaching approximately 1.86 million by the end of the seven-year period. According to reports by the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the plan involves establishing a special ministry to oversee the project, along with funding “absorption packages” for Palestinians in the host countries.
Under Ben-Gvir’s proposal, around 250,000 Palestinians would be expelled in the first year, rising to approximately 1.11 million within three years, and reaching 1.86 million after seven years. The plan, as presented by Ben-Gvir, stipulates that each person or family leaving Gaza must be assigned a destination country. It also includes funding for travel costs, initial housing, and a two-year absorption package covering housing, education, and employment. Ben-Gvir claimed that departures would not occur “without a destination country,” and that families would remain together, adding that Israel would pay host countries for the transportation and absorption of Palestinians.
Ben-Gvir called for the creation of a “Ministry of Emigration” to supervise the project, with a dedicated minister and official. He indicated that his party would seek to take responsibility for implementing the plan, alongside launching a wide advertising campaign to promote it within Israel and in several African countries.
In a related development, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revived a plan to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to other countries, asserting that the occupation is prepared to expel the Strip’s residents “by sea, air, or any means,” provided it receives the green light from the United States. Katz stated that “there is no real solution for Gaza without this migration,” emphasizing Israel’s readiness to proceed with the plan if American support is secured. According to reports regarding the plan, the occupation has established a funding framework of up to $15.6 billion to implement it, covering the costs of transporting and absorbing Palestinians in host countries.
Katz had previously stated that US President Donald Trump had not canceled the plan but rather “froze” it, citing the lack of countries willing to accept residents from the Gaza Strip.
