Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said the army should prepare a plan that would help Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza do so.
Writing on X he stated following US President Donald Trump request to take over the Gaza Strip and turned to Rivera, Palestinians will relocate to neighboring countries either by land, sea and air.
“I have instructed the IDF to prepare a plan that will allow any resident of Gaza who wishes to leave to do so, to any country willing to receive them,” wrote Katz.
“Countries such as Spain, Ireland, Norway and others, which have falsely accused Israel over its actions in Gaza, are legally obligated to allow Gazans to enter their territory. Their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he backed Trump’s plan to move Palestinians to neighboring countries and to take “long-term ownership” of the Palestinian territory, calling it a “remarkable idea.”
Trump’s proposal has been met with resistance from Arab and Palestinian leaders, who hope Gaza and the West Bank can be part of a future Palestinian state.
Meanwhile residents of Gaza have vow never to leave their homeland. They staged a protest in the central town of Deir al-Balah Thursday, calling Mr. Trump’s proposal a “criminal hellish plan.”
“We spent a year-and-a-half under war, we will not accept the idea of leaving. Those who leave their own countries suffer unspeakably. We will not leave or flee our country,” one of the protesters Mohammed told Euronews.
“Of course there will be people who will flee, those who have no homes and such, people like that will leave, but of course the vast majority will not flee. On my side, I will not leave,” he insisted.
People carried signs that read “the land is ours, Gaza is ours, Palestine is ours from long ago and forever.”
Other large posters read “the occupier should carry their stick and leave our land” and “we’ll build Gaza and reconstruct it and bring life back to it with our own help, will, and determination.”
