Israel instructs military to prepare plans for Palestinian withdrawal from Gaza

The Israeli Defense Minister said he has instructed the military to prepare plans for a large number of Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip "voluntarily," in line with US President Donald Trump's proposal for the war-torn territory.

Israel Katz said on February 6 that the plan "will include options for departure via land crossings as well as a special agreement for departure by sea and air."

He said he welcomes Trump's "bold plan, which could allow a large part of Gaza's population to leave for different parts of the world."

Katz did not say whether Palestinians could one day return to Gaza, which has become largely uninhabited after Israel's 15-month military campaign against Hamas, the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

Earlier in the week, Trump proposed that most of Gaza's population be "permanently" resettled elsewhere while the US rebuilds the territory.

US officials later said the relocation would only be temporary, but Palestinians have expressed fears that Israel will never allow them to return.

The details of Trump's plan, first outlined last month, remain unclear. It is not yet known under what authority the US would take control of Gaza or how its 2.3 million residents would be relocated.

The US president's proposal has raised concerns that it could jeopardize the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the radical Palestinian group that has ruled Gaza since 2007.

The multi-phase ceasefire, which came into effect last month, temporarily halted more than a year of fighting in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The Gaza War began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas attacked Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping nearly 250 others. As a result of the Israeli offensive, more than 47,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza.

The war forced the population of 2.3 million to be displaced from their homes, often more than once, and caused extensive destruction in the enclave.

A damage assessment by the United Nations published in January showed that clearing the more than 50 million tons of rubble left by Israeli bombing could take 21 years./ REL