Israel still wants to remove Palestinians from Gaza, defence minister says

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has confirmed that the Israeli government still aims to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Katz claimed the US President Donald Trump had only halted a plan which advocates say is equivalent to ethnic cleansing. At a Ynet conference, Katz said de-populating Gaza – referred to euphemistically as voluntary "immigration" or "migration" of Palestinians – is the "only solution".

Palestinian rights groups have argued for years that Israel's war on Gaza aims to ethnically cleanse the territory. Far-right Israeli officials have openly advocated for the depopulation of Gaza in the past. Trump initially backed the idea during his presidency, stating the US would take control of the territory after Palestinians are removed.

The proposal drew international outrage, particularly from Middle Eastern nations allied with Washington. Trump later endorsed a ceasefire deal that explicitly promised Palestinians the right to remain in their land. Despite this, Israel has continued to restrict aid and prevent reconstruction in Gaza while conducting daily attacks on Palestinians since October 2025.

Katz said the Israeli government is ready to take Gaza "by sea, by air and by any means necessary". However, Egypt, which borders Gaza, refuses to accept Palestinian refugees. Other potential countries willing to host displaced Palestinians require US support, though Katz noted that Washington has not abandoned the proposal. The US has provided Israel with around $25 billion in military aid over the past three years and backed the Israeli government internationally, including imposing sanctions on officials investigating Palestinian atrocities.

Trump recently announced plans to disarm Hamas as part of a US-backed process that includes an Israeli withdrawal and an end to attacks on Gaza. However, Israel rejected the proposal, insisting it will only make concessions if Gaza is fully demilitarised. In response to Katz's statement, US Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley cautioned that Israel is planning to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian enclave, based on their visit to the Gaza-Egypt border last year. Van Hollen wrote on social media that the Senators must end their complicity in Israel's actions.