Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has described a plan for the forced removal of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and their transfer to other countries, Middle East Eye reported.
Ben Gvir, a far-right figure in the Israeli government, called the proposal “realistic”. According to the plan he outlined, 250,000 Palestinians would be displaced from Gaza during its first year of implementation.
The minister said the proposal would then seek to remove roughly 2 million more residents from the territory over the following six years. Taken together, the stages described by Ben Gvir would extend across a seven-year period, beginning with the smaller initial target before expanding to the much larger number.
Ben Gvir also said there were countries “ready” to receive Palestinians removed from Gaza. The available remarks did not identify those countries or provide further information about any arrangements with them. No additional details were given on how the proposed transfers would be carried out or where the displaced residents would be sent.
The comments were made as Israel heads towards closely contested elections scheduled for next month. Ben Gvir presented the displacement proposal during the run-up to that vote, setting out numerical targets for both the first year and the six years that would follow.
Middle East Eye characterised the proposal as a plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. Ben Gvir’s remarks, as reported, focused on the scale and timeline of the proposed removals and his assertion that foreign destinations were available. The source material provided no further details about the countries involved, the mechanism for moving Gaza’s residents abroad or the administrative steps required to pursue the plan.
Under the sequence described by the minister, the first phase would affect a quarter of a million Palestinians. A later phase would seek to displace about 2 million additional residents over six years, making that period the principal component of the proposal. Ben Gvir did not provide further specifics in the reported comments beyond calling the plan feasible and saying other countries were prepared to accept those removed.
Reporting attribution: based on reporting by Middle East Eye — original source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/far-right-israeli-minister-sets-out-plan-forcibly-displace-palestinians.