Israel Orders Army To Plan Gaza Evacuations By Land, Sea, Air Amid Trump’s Controversial Takeover Proposal
Following Trump’s statement, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the army on Thursday to draft a plan for the “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents.
United States President Donald Trump’s announcement of a plan to take over Gaza has drawn widespread condemnation from world powers, including Russia, China, and Germany.
The plan, which aims to resettle Palestinians and transform Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” has sparked outrage across the Middle East, Reuters reports.
Following Trump’s statement, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the army on Thursday to draft a plan for the “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents.
“I welcome President Trump’s bold plan, Gaza residents should be allowed the freedom to leave and emigrate, as is the norm around the world,” Katz was quoted as saying by Israel’s Channel 12.
When asked where Palestinians should be resettled, Katz pointed to countries critical of Israel’s military actions.
“Countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway, and others, which have levelled accusations and false claims against Israel over its actions in Gaza, are legally obligated to allow any Gaza resident to enter their territories,” he said.
“Their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse to do so. There are countries like Canada, which has a structured immigration program, that have previously expressed a willingness to accept Gaza residents,” Katz added.
Katz’s plan reportedly includes exit options through land crossings, as well as arrangements for departures by sea and air.
His proposal coincides with expected talks between Israel and Hamas regarding a second round of a fragile ceasefire plan after nearly 16 months of conflict in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia has rejected Trump’s plan outright, while Jordan’s King Abdullah, who is set to meet Trump next week, has also dismissed any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians.
Iran’s foreign ministry, in a post on X, accused Trump of participating in Israel’s attempt to “completely wipe out the Palestinian people.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, welcomed the proposal.
“This is the first good idea that I’ve heard,” he said.
“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.”
Hamas, which ruled Gaza before the war, denounced Trump’s proposal as “ridiculous and absurd.”
Trump has suggested since January that Gaza’s residents should be resettled in regional Arab nations like Egypt and Jordan, an idea rejected by both Arab states and Palestinian leaders.
Rights groups have condemned Trump’s proposal as ethnic cleansing.
Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry reports that more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict, while nearly all of Gaza’s population has been internally displaced, leading to a severe hunger crisis.
