Katz announces new panel tasked with advancing ‘voluntary’ emigration of Gazans
Defense minister’s office says initial plan drawn up by COGAT calls for providing ‘extensive assistance’ to ‘any Gaza resident who wants to emigrate to a third state’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the establishment of a new directorate in the Defense Ministry tasked with enabling Palestinians to “voluntarily” leave the Gaza Strip, in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s stated plans for the relocation of all Gazans and the transformation of the strip into a Middle East “Riviera.”
Katz held an assessment Monday on the subject of Palestinians leaving Gaza, during which the new directorate was decided upon, his office said.
The new directorate will include representatives from various government ministries and defense bodies.
Also during the assessment, the ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) presented Katz with an initial plan on the subject.
“The plan includes extensive assistance that will allow any Gaza resident who wants to emigrate to a third state, to receive support that includes special departure arrangements through the sea, air, and land, among other things,” Katz’s office said.
Earlier this month, Katz said he had ordered the army to formulate a plan to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza, adding that he welcomed “Trump’s bold plan, which could allow a large portion of Gaza’s population to relocate to various places around the world.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he was “committed to US President Donald Trump’s plan for the creation of a different Gaza,” also promising that after the war sparked by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, “there will be neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority” ruling the territory.
Trump’s repeated proposal for a US “takeover” of Gaza and the resettlement of Palestinians in other countries such as Egypt and Jordan lacks detail but has triggered widespread international outrage and prompted efforts to craft a counter to the American president’s plan.
Agencies and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
