Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel is prepared to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip by sea, air or other means if the United States gives its approval.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Israeli news outlet Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, Katz said there was “no real solution for Gaza” without what he described as Palestinian “migration.” He said Israel’s government was organised and prepared to facilitate the departure of people from the territory if countries agreed to receive them.
Katz said the plan to encourage Palestinians to leave Gaza had not been cancelled but had been “frozen” following pressure from Arab countries and the lack of countries willing to accept Palestinians from the territory.
He also claimed that about 80% of Gaza’s population wants to leave, but did not identify the surveys on which he based the figure. The Times of Israel noted that a May 2026 survey cited by Israeli authorities asked residents about obtaining information on mechanisms for relocation to a third country, but that this did not necessarily establish a desire for permanent departure.
Katz said the plan could move forward if Hamas failed to meet its commitments under the U.S.-backed framework for Gaza. He said Israel would then receive a “green light” to advance militarily and territorially and to pursue the emigration plan.
The comments revive an idea first promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025, when he proposed relocating Gaza’s roughly 2.3 million Palestinians and redeveloping the devastated territory as a luxury destination. The proposal faced strong opposition from Palestinians and regional governments, particularly Egypt, and was subsequently put on hold.
According to Katz, however, Trump’s proposal remains under discussion. He said Israel’s emigration directorate remains prepared to facilitate departures if circumstances allow.
The remarks came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an Israeli military position inside Gaza and said Israel would not withdraw from the territory it currently controls. Netanyahu said Israel controls about 60% of the Strip and would continue operations aimed at disarming Hamas.
The prospect of removing Gaza’s population has raised serious concerns under international humanitarian law. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits individual or mass forcible transfers and deportations of protected persons from occupied territory, while allowing only limited and temporary evacuations when required for the population’s security or by imperative military reasons. Unlawful deportation or transfer is listed as a grave breach under Article 147.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court also lists deportation or forcible transfer of a population among crimes against humanity when the required legal conditions are met.
The Gaza war began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 people taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, with more than 1,300 deaths reported since the October 2025 ceasefire.
