Israel Promoting Emigration from Gaza

According to a senior Israeli official, Jerusalem is actively promoting the emigration of Palestinians from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israeli media reported that the government has been in contact with authorities in other countries – including some in the Middle East – to gauge their willingness to absorb Gazans. The Israeli official noted that more than 35,000 Palestinians left the coastal enclave last year alone, adding that Israel would finance flights for those interested in departing. He qualified, however, that so far no foreign nation had responded positively to the proposal. The revelation comes a day after Palestinian Authority President Mohammed Shtayyeh announced that Ramallah would begin offering grants to university graduates prepared to reside in the Jordan Valley – an area that Israel deems vital to its ongoing security and which lawmakers across the political spectrum say will remain under Israeli sovereignty even in the event of a future peace deal.