Trump adviser lauds Gaza takeover plan
US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz tells Fox News that Trump’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza is “a very practical idea”.
In an interview with Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, Waltz said: “He … looks at the death of destruction in Gaza. He knows as a builder, it’s going to take years to clean that up. He’s asking a very practical question: How does two million people live for a decade in the middle of all of that?”
Waltz claimed that Palestinians, if offered, would take the chance to leave Gaza.
“As President Trump said, have they ever really been offered? And who wouldn’t take the opportunity to take their family somewhere else with some decent housing, and a place to live?” Waltz said. “Then he says let’s stop the definition of insanity of pouring billions and rebuilding Gaza just to see terrorists attack all over again.”
Palestinians in Gaza, however, have rejected Trump’s proposal, describing it as ethnic cleansing and saying they want to remain on their land. Arab nations, too, have opposed it and presented a counter-proposal to rebuild Gaza without relocating its residents.
Israel greenlights agency to displace Palestinians from Gaza
The Times of Israel reports that Israel’s security cabinet has approved a proposal by Defence Minister Israel Katz to establish a government agency to oversee the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the Israeli Defence Ministry said the agency would be tasked with securing the movement of Gaza’s population “for their voluntary departure to third countries, including securing their movement, establishing movement routes, checking pedestrians at designated crossings in the Gaza Strip, as well as coordinating the provision of infrastructure that will enable passage by land, sea and air to the destination countries”.
The ministry claimed that the move was “subject to Israeli and international law, and in accordance with the vision of US President Donald Trump”.
Trump has previously proposed that the Gaza Strip be depopulated to “develop” the enclave under US control. Palestinians in Gaza have rejected this proposal, describing it as ethnic cleansing, while Arab nations have backed Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan counterproposal to rebuild Gaza without relocating its residents.
Forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza now official Israeli policy
It’s been 23 days of Israel not allowing any food, water, or medicine into the Gaza Strip, then launching this attack on Tuesday that has killed hundreds of people, including more than 200 children.
Israel has now officially endorsed the policy of facilitating the exit of the population of Gaza to implement US President Trump’s plan. This is now official policy. There will be a naming of someone who will head a directorate for this purpose inside Israel’s Defense Ministry.
The idea of forcing people out of Gaza has been harshly criticised and pointed out as a war crime by experts in the field. Israel is calling it “voluntary migration”.
