In the long and unresolved story of Gaza, Israel's defence minister has now spoken aloud what many feared was quietly being planned: the forced removal of Palestinians from the territory, contingent on American blessing. Israel Katz's remarks at a media conference this week reveal a government that sees displacement not as a consequence of war but as its intended outcome, and that views Donald Trump's endorsement as the key that could unlock regional acquiescence. The proposal, widely condemned as ethnic cleansing under international law, emerges not in isolation but within an Israeli election
Israel seeks Trump backing for Gaza Palestinian expulsion plan
Potential forced displacement of Palestinian population from Gaza Strip, characterized as ethnic cleansing by international observers.
Trump has not cancelled this. He has frozen it.
Mark
So Katz is saying Trump could make this happen—that American approval is the missing piece?
Mimi
That's his argument, yes. He's saying neighbouring countries won't take Palestinian refugees without US backing. It's a political calculation about what unlocks regional cooperation.
Luke
But has Trump actually said he's interested? The source says he froze the idea, not that he's actively considering it now.
Mimi
Right. Katz is characterizing it as frozen, not dead. But the White House hasn't confirmed they're discussing it.
Mark
So we don't know if Trump is even engaged with this proposal right now?
Luke
Correct. We know Katz wants him to be. We don't know if he is.
Mimi
And that matters because the whole premise depends on Trump's willingness to back it. Without that, Katz's plan has no leverage with Egypt or other countries.
Mark
What about the timing—why is Katz saying this now?
Mimi
It's election season in Israel. Netanyahu and his coalition are appealing to voters by taking harder lines on Palestinians. This fits that pattern.
Luke
Though it's worth noting that Katz is the defence minister, not just a campaign voice. He's speaking from an official position.
Mark
And Netanyahu is maintaining military control of Gaza in the meantime?
Mimi
Yes. He says Israel won't leave until Hamas disarms. It's occupation as a holding position.
O Pulso
- Israel's defence minister publicly called for the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza 'by sea, by air, by every way possible,' framing mass displacement as a prerequisite for any lasting resolution.
- The plan has drawn immediate international condemnation as a potential war crime, with the White House offering neither denial nor confirmation — a silence that itself carries weight.
- Katz is betting that Trump's endorsement could pressure neighbouring states into accepting Palestinian refugees, singling out Egypt as a country already lobbying Washington against forced removal.
- Netanyahu simultaneously hardened Israel's military posture in Gaza, declaring that Israeli forces would hold their positions until Hamas fully disarmed, with no timeline offered and no concession to the active ceasefire framework.
- Inside Israel, the political atmosphere has grown more extreme: National Security Minister Ben-Gvir publicly celebrated the degradation of prison conditions for Palestinian detainees, signalling how far the rhetorical and policy floor has shifted.
- The expulsion proposal is characterised as 'frozen, not cancelled' — a distinction that keeps the door open while the election season rewards those who push hardest against Palestinian presence in the territory.
In the long and unresolved story of Gaza, Israel's defence minister has now spoken aloud what many feared was quietly being planned: the forced removal of Palestinians from the territory, contingent on American blessing. Israel Katz's remarks at a media conference this week reveal a government that sees displacement not as a consequence of war but as its intended outcome, and that views Donald Trump's endorsement as the key that could unlock regional acquiescence. The proposal, widely condemned as ethnic cleansing under international law, emerges not in isolation but within an Israeli election season that has made the fate of Palestinian lives a matter of domestic political competition.
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz used a media conference this week to articulate his government's ambitions with unusual directness: Palestinians must be expelled from Gaza, and the United States must be persuaded to make it possible. Speaking at an event hosted by Israeli outlets Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, Katz described forced migration as essential to any durable outcome in Gaza, with the government prepared to move people by sea, air, or any available means. The remarks drew swift international condemnation as a potential act of ethnic cleansing and a violation of international law.
Katz's strategic logic centres on Washington. He argued that Trump's backing would shift the regional calculus, persuading neighbouring countries to accept Palestinian refugees — countries that, he claimed, currently want American cover before agreeing to anything. He pointed to Egypt as a state already pressing Washington to oppose forced removal. Crucially, Katz characterised the American position not as a rejection but as a pause: Trump had explored Palestinian displacement as part of a broader Gaza takeover concept in early 2025, then stepped back, and his administration later released a peace framework that did not include deportation. Yet Katz insisted the idea remained alive in ongoing discussions. The White House did not respond to requests for comment, leaving the question unanswered in a way that neither reassures nor forecloses.
The remarks land during an Israeli election season in which the rhetoric and policies of Netanyahu's rightwing coalition have grown increasingly severe. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted footage from a women's prison where he described — with evident satisfaction — conditions stripped of medical care, showers, and clean clothing. When a prisoner told him she was receiving no treatment, he replied that comfortable conditions were finished and that he was pleased.
On the same day, Netanyahu visited a military position near what Israel designates the yellow line in Gaza, reaffirming that Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas disarmed completely. Despite international calls for a phased pullback to support the recently enacted ceasefire, Netanyahu declared that Israel controlled the territory and intended to stay. The posture is one of indefinite military occupation used as leverage — with no departure timeline and no concession to the ceasefire architecture now nominally in effect.
Israel's defence minister laid out his government's ambitions plainly this week: to expel Palestinians from Gaza, and to secure Donald Trump's backing to make it happen. Israel Katz spoke at a conference hosted by the Israeli news outlet Ynet and the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, stating that forced migration was essential to any lasting resolution in Gaza. The government, he said, was ready to move people "by sea, by air, by every way possible." The plan has drawn widespread international condemnation as a potential war crime and an act of ethnic cleansing.
Katz's calculation is straightforward: Trump's endorsement could shift the regional calculus. If the United States backed the expulsion, neighbouring countries might be persuaded to accept Palestinian refugees. "Every country that is willing to take them in wants American backing," Katz said. He singled out Egypt, which he claimed had pressed Washington to oppose forced removal of Palestinians. The defence minister framed the proposal not as cancelled but as frozen—a distinction that matters. Trump explored a Gaza takeover involving Palestinian displacement in early 2025, then stepped back. His White House later produced a 20-point peace plan that did not call for deportation. Yet Katz suggested the door remained open. "Trump has not cancelled this at the moment. He has frozen it," Katz said. "It is being discussed all the time, including now."
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on whether Trump was actively discussing Israel's expulsion proposals. The silence itself is notable—neither a denial nor a confirmation, but an absence where clarity might be expected.
Katz's remarks arrive during a competitive Israeli election season in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightwing coalition partners have escalated their rhetoric and policies toward Palestinians. The national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, posted video from a women's prison where he said he was directly responsible for conditions he described with apparent satisfaction: no medical care, no showers, no clean clothing. When a prisoner told him she was not receiving treatment, Ben-Gvir responded that "the good conditions in the prisons are over" and that he was pleased with the current state of affairs.
On the same day Katz spoke, Netanyahu visited a military position near what Israel calls the yellow line in Gaza. He reiterated that Israel would not withdraw from that line until Hamas disarmed, despite international calls for a phased pullback to support the recent ceasefire. "We control the territory and are staying on this line," Netanyahu said. "We are doing everything to achieve our goal—disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza. Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel." The statement reflects a hardening position: military occupation as leverage, with no timeline for departure and no concession to the ceasefire framework that had just taken effect.
Citações Notáveis
There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration— Israel Katz, Defence Minister
We control the territory and are staying on this line. We are doing everything to achieve our goal—disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza— Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister
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Leia o original em The Guardian ↗
Politics & Governance