Summary
- Trump says US troops will not be needed in Gaza.
- Israeli defense minister tells military to plan 'voluntary departure' of Gaza residents.
- Katz suggests countries opposing Israel take Palestinians.
- Palestinians fear another Nakba.
US President Donald Trump said on
Thursday that Israel will hand over Gaza to the US after the war is over and
that the enclave's population has already been resettled elsewhere, meaning
there will be no need for US troops on the ground.
A day after Trump's announcement
that he aims to turn the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle
East", Israel ordered its military to be ready to allow the
"voluntary departure" of Gaza residents.
Trump, who previously refused to
rule out the deployment of US troops in Gaza, outlined his plans in comments on
his Twitter social media platform.
He said Israel would hand over
the Gaza Strip to the US after the Palestinians were "resettled in new and
current homes nearby, currently more secure and more gorgeous networks." Palestinians
would be "resettled in new and present-day homes nearby, currently more
secure and more lovely networks."
"Prior, Israel's foreign minister said he had requested the military to foster an arrangement to permit
inhabitants who wish to leave Gaza deliberately."
"I invite President Trump's
strong arrangement, Gazans ought to be allowed to leave and move, just like the
standard all over the planet," Katz said on X.
Katz said his plan would include
options for exit via land crossings and special arrangements for departure by
sea and air. “Military from the US side will be needed!” he said.
Trump's unexpected announcement
on Wednesday, which has sparked anger in the Middle East, came as Israel and
Hamas were expected to begin talks on a second round of a fragile ceasefire
plan to end nearly 16 months of fighting in Gaza.
Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia
has flatly rejected the proposal and Jordan's King Abdullah, who will meet
Trump at the White House next week, said on Wednesday he rejected any attempt
to annex the land and displace Palestinians.
Hamas official Bassem Naim
accused Katz of "trying to cover up for a state that has failed to achieve
any of its goals in the Gaza war", and said Palestinians are so attached
to their land that they could never leave.
The displacement of Palestinians
has been one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East for decades. The
forced or compulsory transfer of a population under military occupation is a
war crime, prohibited under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Thousands of people have been
killed in Israeli attacks over the past 16 months, forcing Palestinians to
repeatedly wander inside Gaza, seeking safety.
The buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, on a
rainy day, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City on February
6, 2025.
Katz said countries that have
opposed Israel’s military operations in Gaza should embrace the Palestinians.
"Countries like Spain,
Ireland, Norway, and others, which have made allegations and misleading cases
against Israel over its activities in Gaza, are lawfully committed to permit
any Gazan occupant to enter their domains," he said.
