Israel Plans Voluntary Departure of Palestinians from Gaza Following Trump's Proposal; CENTCOM Commander Visits Israel
The Israeli defense minister said the plan, "will include options for exit and land crossings as well as special arrangement for exit by sea and air."
JERUSALEM - Israel's Defense Minister announced that the country is preparing a plan to allow Palestinians in Gaza to voluntarily relocate to "any country willing to accept them," and open up land crossings allowing them to leave following U.S. President Donald Trump's "bold plan" for the region.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday, "I have instructed the IDF to prepare a plan to enable voluntary departure for Gaza residents," and added that they could go "to any country willing to accept them."
Katz also said the plan, "will include options for exit and land crossings as well as special arrangement for exit by sea and air."
As part of Trump's plan, the Gaza Strip would be handed over to the United States after Israel's war with the Hamas terrorist organization ends. By the time the Strip is given over to the United States, the 2 million Palestinians currently settled in the region "would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region," Trump said on Truth Social, adding that, "They would actually have a chance to be happy, safe, and free."
As part of the plan, Trump said that, "No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!"
"The U.S., working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth," Trump said.
He had said on Tuesday that the Gaza Strip would become the "Riviera of the Middle East".
On Thursday U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that the Gaza Strip in its current state is "not habitable" because the area is filled with unexploded munitions and other hazards as a result of the now 490-day (16-month) war that began on October 7th, 2023 when Hamas carried out a surprise attack on the state of Israel, killing around 1,200 civilians including over 40 American citizens, and took 251 people hostage including 12 Americans.
Palestinian Leadership, Hamas And The United Nations Respond To Trump's Plan For Gaza
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