Washington, September 2, 2026: Israel has prepared plans to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip but is waiting for the United States to determine where they could be taken, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday.
"There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration," Katz told a conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The Israeli government "is organised and prepared to get them out -- by sea, by air, by every way possible", he said.
The US embassy referred requests for comment to the State Department in Washington.
Trump's Proposal For Palestinians To Leave Gaza
US President Donald Trump stunned much of the world at the start of his second term by calling for all two million Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip.
Trump spoke of developing the Mediterranean territory, devastated by Israeli bombardment since the Oct 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, into a luxury resort destination.
He later walked back the idea following strong opposition, including from Egypt, the only country other than Israel that borders Gaza.
Palestinians also condemned the proposal, saying any attempt to force them from their land would recall the "Nakba", or catastrophe -- their mass displacement during Israel's creation in 1948.
When announcing a Gaza war ceasefire in October, Trump laid out a 20-point plan for the territory that included no forced displacement.
Katz Says Plan Has Not Been Cancelled
Katz, known for his outspoken remarks, said Trump had only "frozen" the idea while looking for countries willing to take in Palestinians, with Egypt not an option.
"The plan hasn't been cancelled; it is being discussed all the time, even now, and I think there is no other solution for everyone's good," he said.
"But for it to happen, we need the US. When will we get their approval? Whenever it becomes clear that Hamas is not meeting its obligations" under the ceasefire, he said.
Without citing a source, Katz said 80 per cent of people in Gaza wanted to leave but Hamas was preventing them from doing so.
Gaza Death Toll And War Crimes Allegations
Forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz's predecessor Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes, allegations that both Israel and the United States deny.
Also Watch:
Israeli attacks have already internally displaced the vast majority of Gaza's population following the unprecedented Hamas attack, which killed 1,221 people, according to official Israeli figures.
Israel's offensive has since killed 73,470 people in Gaza, including more than 1,330 since the ceasefire, according to the Gaza health ministry, which operates under Hamas.
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