From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 22, 2024
Katz, Borrell counter report claiming Israel proposed temporarily moving Gazans to artificial island off coast of Strip
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The Foreign Ministry flatly denies a Guardian report that Foreign Minister Israel Katz brought up the idea of temporarily housing Gazans on an artificial island in the Mediterranean during his presentation to his EU counterparts.
“He never said such a thing, and there is no such plan,” the Foreign Ministry tells The Times of Israel.
Katz did present to the ministers a plan to build a port for Gaza on an artificial island in order to check incoming goods, one he has pushed for years.
According to a spokesman, Katz mentioned that housing could be placed on the island as well, but did not mention anything having to do with relocating Palestinians there.
In a press conference, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was asked about the video, saying it was “very interesting” but off-topic, and that it dealt with a port and a rail corridor to the broader region.
The Times of Israel Community.