Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the army on Thursday to prepare a plan to allow the “voluntary departure” of residents from the Gaza strip, Israeli media reported.
He suggested Ireland as one of the countries which are “legally obligated to allow any Gaza resident to enter their territories”, because Ireland is one of the countries which “levelled accusations and false claims against Israel over its actions in Gaza.”
The instruction followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s shock announcement that the United States plans to take over Gaza, resettle the Palestinians living there and transform the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
Mr Trump on Tuesday called for “permanently” resettling Palestinians from war-torn Gaza and left open the door to deploying American troops there as part of a massive rebuilding operation.
“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,” Israel’s Channel 12 quoted Minister Katz as saying.
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When asked who will take in the Palestinians, Katz said it should be countries who have opposed Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“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.
Katz’s plan will include exit options via land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departure by sea and air, Channel 12 reported.
Trump drew rebukes on Wednesday over his plan for Gaza from world powers Russia, China and Germany, which said it would foster “new suffering and new hatred.”
Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia rejected the proposal outright and Jordan’s King Abdullah, who will meet Trump at the White House next week, said on Wednesday he rejected any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians.
Israeli Minister of Foreign affairs Israel Katz. Photo: Gili Yaari/NurPhoto via Getty Images
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Trump’s proposal was “remarkable” and urged that it be explored, even as he was not specific about what he believed Trump was offering.
But secretary of state Marco Rubio and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he only sought to move the roughly 1.8 million Gazans temporarily to allow for reconstruction.
Even that proposal has drawn criticism from Palestinians, who are worried they may never be allowed back in if they flee, and from the Arab nations that Mr Trump has called on to take them in.
In an interview on Wednesday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Mr Netanyahu reiterated his praise for Mr Trump.
“It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued,” he said. “Examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”
Mr Netanyahu earlier met with defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the military is “prepared to look at all options” for rebuilding Gaza.
“We look forward to working with our allies, our counterparts, both diplomatically and militarily, to look at all options,” Mr Hegseth said.
Mr Rubio, on his first foreign trip as secretary of state, described Mr Trump’s proposal as a “very generous” offer to help with debris removal and reconstruction of the enclave following 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“In the interim, obviously people are going to have to live somewhere while you’re rebuilding it,” Mr Rubio said in a news conference in Guatemala City.
Ms Leavitt said in a briefing with reporters in Washington that Gaza is “a demolition site” and referenced footage of the devastation.
“The president has made it clear that they need to be temporarily relocated out of Gaza,” she said, calling it currently “an uninhabitable place for human beings” and saying it would be “evil to suggest that people should live in such dire conditions”.
President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s Super Bowl (Evan Vucci/AP)
Their comments contradicted the president, who said on Tuesday night: “If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza.”
He added that he envisioned “long-term” US ownership of a redevelopment of the territory.
Egypt, Jordan and other US allies in the Mideast have cautioned Mr Trump that relocating Palestinians from Gaza would threaten Mideast stability, risk expanding the conflict and undermine a decades-long push by the US and its allies for a two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a sharply worded reaction, noting its long call for an independent Palestinian state was a “firm, steadfast and unwavering position”.
Saudi Arabia has been in negotiations with the US over a deal to diplomatically recognise Israel in exchange for a security pact and other terms.
“The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it,” the Saudi statement said.
Mr Rubio insisted Mr Trump’s position “was not meant as a hostile move”.
“What he’s very generously offered is the ability of the United States to go in and help with debris removal, help with munitions removal, help with reconstruction, the rebuilding homes and businesses and things of this nature so that then people can move back in,” Mr Rubio said.
The White House said Mr Trump was ruling out sending US dollars to aid in the reconstruction of Gaza.
But Ms Leavitt, like Mr Trump, refused to rule out sending American troops into Gaza, saying of Mr Trump: “He wants to preserve that leverage in negotiations.”