From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 7, 2025
IDF plan requested by Katz said to suggest transporting Gazans who want to leave via Ramon airport, Ashdod port
A draft plan reportedly presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz yesterday on how to implement US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Gazans from the Strip suggests transporting Palestinians via an airport in southern Israel or the Ashdod seaport.
Bloomberg cites an Israel official as saying that the plan was presented to Katz during a military briefing.
In the wake of Trump’s declaration earlier this week, the defense minister said he had instructed the military to prepare a plan that would enable Gazans seeking to leave the Strip voluntarily to do so.
The Ramon Airport is located some 250 kilometers (155 miles) away from Gaza, near Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, and is adjacent to the border with Jordan, while the Ashdod port
According to the anonymous official cited in the Bloomberg report, the IDF is also examining which of the land crossings between Israel and Gaza would allow the safe passage of Palestinians out of the Strip, after they pass security screening.
The Israeli military assessment is based on the assumption that Egypt will not agree to take in Gazans, according to Bloomberg.
There was no Israeli comment on the report.
