Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Israeli Allies Renew Calls to Remove Gaza Palestinians
Israeli ministers have proposed that many Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip for other countries.
Itamar Ben-Gvir said 250,000 people should leave in the first year.
He said the rest of Gaza’s roughly two million residents could leave during the next six years.
Ben-Gvir described the plan as voluntary and said he wanted a government ministry to organize it.
His party mentioned Turkey, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as possible destinations.
Defence Minister Israel Katz also discussed removing Palestinians if the United States approved.
Palestinian officials and residents said they would not leave their land.
Many Palestinians fear the plan could become forced removal and remind them of the 1948 Nakba.
The proposals were made before a closely contested Israeli election, and it is unclear whether they will become government policy.
Itamar Ben-Gvir proposed moving 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year and the rest over six more years.
Ben-Gvir called the proposal “voluntary emigration” and said he would seek a government ministry to oversee it.
His Jewish Power party named Turkey, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as potential destinations, though earlier reports said countries had not been identified.
Defence Minister Israel Katz also said Israel was prepared to remove Gazans if the United States approved the plan.
Palestinian representatives rejected the proposals, while critics warned that forced displacement could violate international law and evoke the 1948 Nakba.
- Who
- Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israel Katz proposed or supported plans concerning Palestinian departure from Gaza; Palestinian officials and residents opposed them.
- What
- A proposed seven-year program for the departure of 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year and the remaining roughly two million over six years.
- When
- Ben-Gvir presented the plan on a Thursday before Israel’s October 27 general election; Reuters dated its report September 4, while the articles do not consistently specify the year.
- Where
- The proposed departure would be from the Gaza Strip to foreign countries; potential destinations named by Ben-Gvir’s party included Turkey, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Why
- Ben-Gvir said the proposal would encourage emigration and provide a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; supporters also linked it to security concerns and the war.
Israeli proponents
Palestinian opponents and critics
Whether emigration would be voluntary
Israeli proponents
Ben-Gvir, Katz and other Israeli officials describe the proposed departure as voluntary and say it could address Gaza’s security and political problems.
Palestinian opponents and critics
Palestinian officials and residents say Gaza is their land and that threats or pressure to leave could amount to forced displacement.
Whether the plan is practical
Israeli proponents
Ben-Gvir called the proposal realistic and said countries were prepared to accept Gazans; his party named three countries under consideration.
Palestinian opponents and critics
The articles say it is unclear whether any countries have formally agreed to receive Palestinians and whether the proposal will lead to concrete action.
Legal and historical implications
Israeli proponents
Israeli officials deny intending to forcibly transfer Gaza’s population and present the policy as voluntary emigration.
Palestinian opponents and critics
Critics warn that forced removal could be a war crime and evoke the Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced during the 1948 war.
- First-year target
- 250,000 Palestinians
- Long-term target
- The remaining roughly two million Gaza residents over the following six years
- Policy document
- A 20-page document titled “National Work Plan for Voluntary Emigration from the Gaza Strip”
- Proposed government body
- Ben-Gvir said his party would seek a ministry in charge of emigration
- Potential destinations
- Ben-Gvir’s party named Turkey, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Legal concern
- Forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions
- Reported casualties
- The articles report at least 73,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, including a Reuters/AFP figure of 73,470 and more than 1,330 since a ceasefire
