Egypt Daily News – The Financial Times revealed that Israel has begun public and urgent moves to allow the voluntary displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, marking an open endorsement of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposals for the relocation of Palestinians from the region.
The report added that Israel has established a “special directorate” to facilitate Palestinian migration from Gaza while intensifying its public adoption of Trump’s plan for the residents of the devastated area.
Reports from Gaza revealed that this is the second time Israel has attempted to open its land crossings and allow Palestinians to leave, but to no avail, as no Palestinian has sought to leave the enclave, according to statements later issued by the Israeli occupation army this month.
Israeli Moves to Voluntarily Displace Palestinians from Gaza
The Financial Times added that the new proposal, which includes “special arrangements for departure by sea, air, and land,” highlights how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leveraging Trump’s plan, under which the United States would take control of the war-ravaged enclave.
The report continued that the special directorate will be established within Israel’s Ministry of Defense, which oversees the occupation of Palestinian territories and controls all entry and exit points from Gaza. In a speech over the weekend to American Jewish groups in occupied Jerusalem, Netanyahu described Trump’s proposal as a “joint strategy” and denied that it amounted to ethnic cleansing.
The newspaper also noted that Netanyahu refused to clarify whether any Palestinian civilians who choose to leave the devastated enclave would be allowed to return.
Trump’s plan which was widely condemned by the Arab world has strengthened Netanyahu’s political standing among far-right politicians who support his ruling coalition. According to the Financial Times, these politicians now see the White House backing what was previously a fringe position: the forced displacement of Palestinians to ensure Israel’s security and take control of Gaza.
At the same time, it noted that Netanyahu’s government continues to engage in ceasefire talks, which supporters hope will bring lasting peace and reconstruction to Gaza in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages.
Israel has sent a low-level negotiating team to Egypt to extend the current ceasefire into a more permanent truce with Hamas and end the war in Gaza. The Israeli security cabinet held a contentious five-hour meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss the matter.
The report added that the conflicting objectives of Netanyahu’s government have created new uncertainty over whether Israel and Hamas can fully implement all stages of the current temporary truce, which has led to a slow release of detainees.
Netanyahu refused to clarify whether those who leave now would be allowed to return, raising fears of mass Palestinian displacement similar to what happened in 1948 when 750,000 Palestinians fled the war and became stateless refugees.
