Israel reportedly seeks Trump's backing for plan to push Palestinians out of Gaza

Israel’s defence minister has said his country is seeking Donald Trump’s backing for plans to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, a proposal widely condemned as a potential war crime.

Israel Katz told a conference organised by the Israeli news site Ynet and the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that there was “no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration.” He said the Israeli government was “organised and prepared to get them out by sea, by air, by every way possible.”

Trump raised the idea of a US takeover of the Gaza Strip in early 2025 that would have involved removing Palestinians from the territory, but later distanced himself from the concept. A 20-point peace plan drawn up by the White House last year did not call for Palestinians’ deportation, an act widely viewed as ethnic cleansing.

Speaking on Wednesday, Katz said he believed US support could shift regional opinion in favour of the forced resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. He described Trump’s approval as crucial to persuading neighbouring countries to accept Palestinian refugees.

“Every country that is willing to take them in wants American backing,” Katz said. “Trump has not cancelled this at the moment. He has frozen it.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request from CuriosityNews for comment on whether Trump was continuing to hold discussions on Israel’s proposals to forcibly depopulate the Gaza Strip.

Katz singled out Egypt, saying it had lobbied Washington to oppose the forced removal of the Palestinian population. “It has not been cancelled,” he said. “It is being discussed all the time, including now, and I think there is no other solution in the end that is in everyone’s interest.”

The remarks come during a competitive election season in Israel in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies have appealed to voters by calling for more aggressive measures against Palestinians.

Some statements have been openly inflammatory. Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted footage on X from a women’s prison, saying he was responsible for the harsh conditions inside.

When one prisoner told him inmates were not receiving medical care, were not allowed to shower and were not given clean clothing, Ben-Gvir replied: “The good conditions in the prisons are over. This is the current situation, and I am directly responsible for everything. I am pleased with these conditions.”

Netanyahu visited an Israeli military post close to the yellow line in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Israel has said it would not withdraw from that line until Hamas disarmed, despite calls for a phased pullback to support the recent ceasefire with the group.

“We control the territory and are staying on this line,” Netanyahu said. “We are doing everything to achieve our goal – disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza. Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”