Israel prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza if U.S. approves, defence minister says
Officials describe move as 'voluntary' but Palestinians fear forced expulsion, which would be war crime
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which → remove → expulsion
Israel is waiting for U.S. approval to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday, resurfacing a plan that has been widely condemned as forced displacement and described as ethnic cleansing.
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that → wait → cleansing
Katz, speaking at a news conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, said Israel is ready to facilitate what has been described as "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians in Gaza "by any means."
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what → speak → means
Palestinians in Gaza have mostly rejected the idea, fearing it will result in their forced expulsion.
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it → reject → expulsion
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli National Security Minister and far-right Jewish Power party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir will unveil the plan on Thursday, which will reportedly remove Palestinians over the span of seven years.
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which → report → years
Ben-Gvir — who has been sanctioned by Ottawa over repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities — is expected to present the plan dubbed "Disengagement 710" as part of his campaign in October's legislative elections.
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who → sanction → elections
Pending U.S. backing, Katz described the move as necessary, insisting the issue at hand is finding countries to take the Palestinians in.
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issue → pende → Palestinians
"There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration," Katz said.
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Katz → be → migration
Katz said the Israeli government "is organized and prepared to get them out — by sea, by air, by every way possible," according to the Times of Israel.
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government → say → Israel
The comments come nearly three years since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to about 250 being taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
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250 → come → tallies
Israel's ensuing assault on Gaza has killed more than 73,400, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and left much of the enclave in ruins.
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assault → ensue → ruins
In February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump pitched the idea of taking ownership of the territory and permanently displacing its residents before turning it into the "Riviera of the Middle East," which at the time was met with unified anger and concern.
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which → pitch → anger
Trump later appeared to abandon the idea, and in January 2026 established the "Board of Peace" to ostensibly handle the resolution of violence and reconstruction in Gaza, although the board has made little progress.
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board → appear → progress
Katz claims Trump has not abandoned the plan, but has merely "frozen it" due to pressure from Arab states, the Times of Israel reported.
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Times → claim → Israel
In response to Trump's remarks in February 2025, United Nations experts warned that moving or forcibly relocating Palestinians would violate international law.
"It is manifestly illegal to invade and annex foreign territory by force, to forcibly deport its population, and to deprive the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to self-determination," they said in 2025.
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they → warn → 2025
The UN Office of the High Commissioner raised concern over ethnic cleansing by Israeli authorities in both Gaza and the West Bank this past February.
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Office → raise → Gaza
It said the increase of reported attacks and forcible transfers "appear aimed at a permanent displacement of Palestinians throughout the occupied territories."
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increase → say → territories
Many Palestinians in Gaza refuse to leave their homes despite dire living conditions after Israel's two-year offensive in the enclave left roughly two million people displaced and living in crowded makeshift tent camps.
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offensive → refuse → camps
Families have been left to deal with widespread destruction, severe water shortages and acute food insecurity.
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Families → leave → destruction
"We were born and raised in Gaza, we will die and be buried in Gaza," Umm Yusuf Shabat, a 55-year-old mother and grandmother, told a freelance videographer with CBC News in the legislative district west of Gaza City.
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Shabat → bear → City
It is enough, the displacement we went through.
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we → go → ?
No matter what happens, we will not [be displaced] again."
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we → happen → ?
Muhammad Abu Jibbeh, 39, echoed Shabat's remarks, saying he refuses to leave.
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he → echo → remarks
"Ultimately, this is our homeland … we are going to remain steadfast and we will not leave our land and we utterly reject the idea of leaving the country or migrating," Abu Jibbeh said.
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Jibbeh → go → country
Others say the living conditions have made it impossible to bear or envision a future in the war-torn territory.
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it → say → territory
The Israel Defence Forces currently control up to 70 per cent of Gaza, according to Israeli sources cited in a July report.
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Forces → control → report
Abdul Rahman Al-Turk, 28, says he has been displaced seven times within Gaza since the war began in October 2023.
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war → say → October
He says water and bread shortages persist, making it difficult to get by.
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it → say → ?
When we have the first chance to leave the country, we will take it," Al-Turk told CBC News.
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Turk → have → News
What do we want to do in this country?
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we → want → country
If the solution is migration, then get us out."
Latest Trump plan notes no displacement
Despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, which halted the large-scale fighting that had devastated the enclave, Israeli strikes and raids continue in Gaza.
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strikes → get → Gaza
The Gaza Health Ministry said more than 1,300 people have died since then.
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people → say → ?
The 20-point peace plan, agreed upon by Israel and Hamas in October 2025, did not call for Palestinians’ displacement.
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plan → agree → displacement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Trump's new 15-point peace plan last month, saying Israel will not withdraw forces until Hamas fully disarms.
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Hamas → reject → forces
Trump's plan states that nobody will be forced to leave the Gaza Strip under Clause 13, which calls for a phased Israeli withdrawal.
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which → state → withdrawal
Hamas formally dissolved its primary civilian governing body in July but maintains it will only disarm after a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
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it → dissolve → territory
Katz's remarks this week drew a sharp rebuke from Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who condemned the plan.
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who → draw → plan
"After our trip to the Gaza-Egypt border last year, [Sen. Jeff Merkley] and I released a report entitled, 'The Netanyahu Government is Implementing a Plan to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza of Palestinians,'" Van Hollen said in a post on X.
"Now the Israeli [Ministry] of Defence confirmed that's the goal.
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that → release → Defence
We must end our complicity.
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We → end → complicity
A previous version of this story said more than 1,300 civilians have died in the Gaza Strip since an October 2025 ceasefire took effect.
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ceasefire → say → effect
…and 1 more, not listed.
