Israeli officials expressed their approval on Sunday of U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion to “clear out” the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in neighbouring Jordan and Egypt, as reported by Anadolu. This proposal comes amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where Israel has conducted military operations that have led to widespread destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, spoke out in favor of the idea during an interview with Israeli Channel 12. He argued that, after 76 years of the Gaza population enduring harsh conditions, largely as a result of the region’s commitment to eliminating Israel, the proposal to help Palestinians relocate and start anew in other countries was a positive one. “The majority of Gaza’s population has been kept under oppressive conditions to maintain the goal of destroying Israel,” Smotrich remarked, suggesting that offering them opportunities to rebuild their lives elsewhere was a step in the right direction.
Smotrich went on to criticize previous political efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, such as proposals to divide the land and create a Palestinian state. He dismissed these as unrealistic, asserting that only “out-of-the-box” thinking could achieve peace and security. The Finance Minister expressed his commitment to collaborating with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of the cabinet to devise a concrete plan to put Trump’s proposal into action as quickly as possible.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the former Israeli National Security Minister, also voiced his support for Trump’s idea, praising it in a statement on his X account. Ben-Gvir lauded Trump’s initiative to transfer the residents of Gaza to Jordan and Egypt, framing it as a necessary step. He emphasized that one of Israel’s demands from Prime Minister Netanyahu should be the promotion of voluntary emigration for Gaza’s population. “When the president of the world’s greatest superpower, Trump, raises such a proposal, it is worth for Israel to take it seriously and implement it without delay,” Ben-Gvir urged, echoing Smotrich’s call for action.
Trump’s hardliner stance on Gaza!
Trump’s comments, made on Saturday, described Gaza as a “demolition site,” urging that the Palestinian territory be cleared and its inhabitants relocated to neighboring countries like Jordan and Egypt. His statement came just a week after a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on January 19, following a prolonged Israeli military campaign that has resulted in catastrophic consequences for the Palestinian population. The conflict, which escalated after Hamas launched attacks on Israel in October 2023, has claimed the lives of over 47,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and left more than 111,000 injured.
The destruction in Gaza is extensive, with over 11,000 people reported missing and widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The humanitarian situation is dire, with many elderly individuals and children among the casualties in what is being described as one of the worst global humanitarian disasters in recent history. In response to these events, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Additionally, Israel faces a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where it is being investigated for potential genocide due to its actions during the conflict. Despite international condemnation, Israeli officials continue to support aggressive policies, including the idea of relocating Gaza’s population to other countries as a means to address what they perceive as the ongoing security threat posed by Gaza.