US President Donald Trump recently proposed the temporary eviction of Palestinians from the region
FILE PHOTO. Destroyed buildings in Gaza © Getty Images / Mustafa Hassona; Anadolu The Israeli government has unveiled plans to persuade Palestinians to leave Gaza and force countries in Europe that have been critical of the war against Hamas to take in refugees from the enclave. US President Donald Trump recently also suggested that Washington could take control over Gaza and level damaged buildings in the area to eventually turn the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” 06 February 2025 12:13 GMT Türkiye has said it is “completely opposed” to plans to exile, displace and evict Palestinians from Gaza. A spokesperson for the Turkish Defense Ministry said Israel’s “annexation policies” effectively deny the right of Palestinians to return to their homelands. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has rejected Israel Katz’s suggestion that Spain should accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza. The head of Palestine’s delegation at the UN, Riyad Mansour, has objected to plans to expel people from Gaza, stating that “some people might not understand the meaning and value of having a country and loving the land of your country.” “For us, the Palestinian people, it is our DNA. We love our country,” he said in response to Trump’s plan, stressing that it doesn’t matter if the land is filled with “palaces” or “destroyed buildings.” “For some they might not understand loving the land, for us the Palestinian people, we love our land whether it has palaces on it or demolished buildings. “ pic.twitter.com/6FdHMBWEjr — State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) February 6, 2025 Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has praised Trump’s “courageous plan” to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to various parts of the world. The minister said he has ordered the IDF to prepare a plan under which any resident of Gaza could be encouraged to emigrate to any country that agrees to take them in. Among the possible destinations, Katz mentioned Spain, Ireland, and Norway, claiming they have leveled “false accusations” against Israel regarding its war against the Gaza-based Hamas militant group. Katz argued that if these countries refused to take in Gazans, “their hypocrisy will be exposed.” 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.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 Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US will “take over the Gaza Strip” to rebuild the region. He also suggested that Palestinians should be temporarily removed to nearby states at the expense of “neighboring countries of great wealth.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later explained that “the president is prepared to rebuild Gaza for Palestinians and all people in the region, peace-loving people who want real economic development and opportunity.” More
The minister stressed that “Gazans’ land is Gaza” and that “Gaza should be part of the future Palestinian state.”
