Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the army on Thursday to prepare a plan that would allow the “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents. This decision came on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s controversial announcement to take over the Gaza strip—a move that has drawn widespread international condemnation.
In his statement on the social media platform X, Israel Katz hailed Trump’s proposal to assume control over Gaza, with the aim of resettling more than 2 million Palestinians and transforming the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” “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 said. He outlined that the plan would include exit options via land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departures by 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.
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Hamas has used the residents of Gaza as human shields, built its terror infrastructure in the heart of the civilian population,…
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) February 6, 2025 [2]
A senior official from Hamas, Basem Naim, accused Katz of trying to mask failures in achieving objectives during the ongoing war on Gaza. Naim argued that the Palestinians are too attached to their land to ever leave, intensifying the sensitive and explosive nature of displacement in the region.
The issue of displacement remains one of the most controversial topics in the Middle East. Forced or coerced displacement under military occupation is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Israeli strikes, which have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people over the past 16 months, have repeatedly forced Palestinians to seek safety by moving within Gaza.
Despite these challenges, many Palestinians remain reluctant to leave the enclave, fearing permanent displacement reminiscent of the “Nakba”—a catastrophe during the 1948 war at the birth of the state of Israel that led to the dispossession of hundreds of thousands.
In his remarks, Israel Katz also urged countries that have opposed Israel’s military operations in Gaza to accept Palestinians. “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. He added that nations with structured immigration programs, such as Canada, have previously expressed a willingness to accept Gaza residents. His comments prompted quick criticism from Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, who stated that Gaza residents belong in Gaza and that the territory must be integral to the future Palestinian state.
Katz further accused Hamas of holding Palestinians hostage in Gaza, preventing their departure and exploiting them through the humanitarian aid system. His comments emerged as Israel and Hamas were expected to begin discussions on the second round of a fragile ceasefire plan aimed at ending almost 16 months of fighting in the region.