Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel has plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza but is waiting for US approval on where to relocate them. He said the government is prepared to move Palestinians “by sea, by air, by every way possible” once a destination is approved, as Egypt refuses to receive displaced Palestinians [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir proposed a seven-year plan to remove Gaza’s roughly two million residents through "voluntary emigration." His plan would begin with 250,000 Palestinians leaving in the first year, followed by the rest over the next six years. Ben-Gvir’s party has considered Turkey, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as possible relocation sites. He called for creating a government ministry to coordinate emigration efforts. Ben-Gvir said, “Instead of illusions of peace now, we need actions of emigration now. Instead of (them) digging tunnels, it’s time to pack suitcases.” [1, 2, 7]

Katz claimed that 80% of Gaza’s population wants to leave but Hamas prevents them from doing so, though this figure is not independently verified [4, 5, 6].

The plan has drawn sharp condemnation from Muslim and Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkey. Their foreign ministers issued a joint statement calling the proposals “forcible expulsions” that undermine peace efforts. "We condemn in the strongest terms the plans and mechanisms proposed aimed at forcibly expelling Palestinians from their land," they said [2].

Israel’s proposals recall the Palestinian "Nakba" of mass displacement and have been condemned by Palestinians and international observers. Forced displacement of civilians in occupied territories is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, according to legal experts. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes charges related to Gaza [1, 4, 5, 6].

The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, denied that Israel has a plan to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza, a claim that contradicts statements from Israeli officials [2].

Israel’s general election is scheduled for October 27, 2026, its first since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 [1].