From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 2, 2023
US VP Harris: Palestinians who leave Gaza will be able to return
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Vice President Kamala Harris tells reporters while traveling in London that every Palestinian in Gaza who evacuates the Hamas-run enclave due to the war will be allowed to return.
“The people who have been forced out have a right to return home, and there should be no forced displacement, no forced migration, and that is it,” Harris says.
Washington has been trying to assuage Palestinian concerns in recent days about a new refugee crisis sparked by the war, as Israel has avoided publicly stating that those who leave Gaza will be able to return.
Jerusalem did privately promise to Egypt and the US that those who have left Gaza for medical treatment will be able to return, Axios reported yesterday. However, it’s unclear how much these fears are warranted given that Egypt is the one controlling the Rafah crossing through which the injured would be able to return.
