Israel is accelerating its military plans to expel Palestinians from Gaza. The plan coincides with President Donald Trump's vision of Gaza, largely accused of ethnic cleansing, and seeks to replace Palestinians with other countries, transforming the war-torn enclave into the “Middle Eastern Riviera.” I'm about to do so. Both Israel and the United States have framed the movement as a humanitarian effort.
Katz's Statement
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz used X to justify the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and presented it as a promotion of voluntary migration.
The minister said he had directed the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) to countries that are willing to receive them to “plan” Gaza residents who want to do so.
He further argued that Hamas was the true cause of Palestinian suffering. He claimed that “Hamas used the inhabitants of Gaza as human shields.” According to Katz, the group “built terror infrastructure at the center of civilians,” and holds hostages.
Katz argued that Western countries, criticizing Israel to be responsible for accepting Palestinian refugees:
Countries such as Spain, Ireland and Norway, who have falsely accused Israel of their actions in Gaza, have a legal obligation to allow the Gaza people to enter their territory. Their hypocrisy is exposed if they refuse.
Katz also welcomed Trump's permanent resettlement proposal, saying:
@Realdonaldtrump Welcome the President of the Bold Initiative. This could create widespread opportunities for Gaza people who want to leave, help resettle in their host countries, and support long-term reconstruction efforts in unarmed, threatless Gaza after Hamas Masu. It takes years.
He emphasized that Israel would promote this process by preparing exit options through the intersection of land and making special arrangements for departures from the sea and air. Katz also emphasized that Gazan should “have the right to freedom of movement and migration, as is customary anywhere in the world.”
“Migration” at the muzzle
Katz presents this plan as a voluntary opportunity for Palestinians to leave, but the reality of forced evacuation cannot be hidden by diplomatic language. First of all, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the ongoing lockdown, did not make a real choice for residents.
Additionally, Katz places the Israeli army at the center of the process and oversees Gazan's departure. This alone undermines the claim that people are willing to leave. When the occupying forces are involved in removing the population, it is not immigrants. It is forced displacement or ethnic cleansing, both of which are serious violations of international law. The presence of an army in such a process essentially creates coercion and maintains impossible options.
Katz's claim that Western countries are required to accept displaced people is unfounded. As a right of occupation, Israel is responsible for the well-being of civilians under international law. The 4th Geneva Convention expressly prohibits forced relocation of groups. Distracting liability to another country does not change the reality that Israel is violating international law by banishing Gazan.
Furthermore, approval of Katz's Trump resettlement plan argues that this is a temporary measure. If the displacement is spontaneous, then there is no need for permanent international negotiations regarding resettlement. Freedom of movement means the ability to leave and return, rather than permanent removal from home.
From Warzone to Riviera?
Wednesday's statement from the White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio sparked debate over whether the cleansing of Gaza would be permanent or temporary. The debate escalated after officials appeared to have walked back Trump's first statement on permanent evacuation.
However, the enormous scale of destruction renders such claims meaningless. In the first nine months of the war, Israel dropped more than 70,000 tons of bombs, wiped out the entire neighborhood, and expelled more than 90% of Gaza's inhabitants. The scale of current devastation suggests a deliberate effort to de-manage Gaza, rather than a targeted campaign exclusively for Hamas. It is difficult to believe that the person responsible for leveling Gaza will suddenly change their minds and welcome those people.
Speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump strongly hinted that Palestinians would not return.
On Thursday, Trump repeated this position on the true society. He argued that Gazan would be better off staying in “a much safer and more beautiful community.”
The contradiction is clear – the White House now claims that displacement is temporary, but the reality of Gaza's destruction and rhetoric from its architects and supporters tell a different story.
Palestinians respond
Palestinian authorities firmly rejected the evacuation plan, saying they would not allow Palestinian rights to be “violated.” President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the proposal as a “significant violation of international law” and states that “peace and stability will not be achieved without the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem on the border on June 4, 1967. .
Hamas officials have denounced Trump's proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza, calling them “racist” and “an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian issue.” They declared that Gazan “will not accept plans aimed at uprooting them,” but warned that the proposal would fuel “chaos and local tensions.”
Regional and global rebound
Trump's plan to drive Palestinians out of Gaza to other countries, mainly Jordan and Egypt, has gained widespread criticism in the Middle East and beyond.
Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the United States, has explicitly rejected Trump's proposal to the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinian residents. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the kingdom would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
Similarly, King Abdullah II of Jordan said he was against attempts to annex and replace the Palestinians.
Egyptian officials reportedly told the Trump administration and Israel that such a plan could destabilise the region and put Egypt's peace treaty with Israel at risk.
European Union leaders rejected Trump's proposal, calling it an unacceptable “serious” violation of international law. They show that the block continues to support the two-state solution and opposes forced displacement. Additionally, Europeans warned that Trump's proposal would undermine international stability and put long-term regional conflicts at risk.
Related:
Trump: We “own” Gaza and rebuild, and drive them out
“Cleaning” Gaza: Egypt and Jordan refuse to call for Trump's relocation
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