Israel Orders Army to Prepare for ‘Voluntary Departure’ of Gazans after Trump’s Plan
In a shocking move, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to draft a plan to allow the “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents from the enclave. This announcement comes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s statement that the US could “take over” the Gaza Strip. The development has sparked widespread concern and criticism, with many fearing that it is a thinly veiled attempt to ethnically cleanse the area of its Palestinian population.
According to reports, Katz welcomed Trump’s plan, stating that it could enable a large segment of Gaza’s population to relocate. The Israeli Defence Minister’s statement has been met with outrage and condemnation from Palestinian officials, human rights groups, and international leaders, who have accused the Israeli government of attempting to perpetuate a decades-long policy of displacement and oppression.
The Gaza Strip, a coastal region in the Middle East, has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967. The area has been subject to a debilitating blockade, which has led to widespread poverty, unemployment, and humanitarian crises. The situation has been further exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Trump’s statement, made in an interview with Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, has been seen as a significant escalation in the conflict. The US President’s remarks have been widely condemned by Palestinian leaders, who have accused him of attempting to legitimize Israel’s illegal occupation and further entrench the status quo.
“We will not be silent in the face of this attempt to displace our people,” said Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority. “We will continue to defend the rights of our people and resist any attempts to erase our identity and our presence in this land.”
Human rights groups have also spoken out against the plan, accusing Israel of attempting to perpetuate a policy of ethnic cleansing. “This plan is a clear violation of international law and a further attempt to displace the Palestinian people from their homeland,” said Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian human rights activist.
The Israeli government has long been accused of attempting to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population. In the 1990s, Israel conducted a program of mass expulsions, known as the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe” in Arabic, which saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians forced from their homes and into refugee camps.
The latest developments come as tensions in the region continue to escalate. In recent weeks, there have been reports of increased violence and incursions by Israeli forces into the Gaza Strip. The situation has been further complicated by the ongoing humanitarian crisis, which has seen thousands of Palestinians left without access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.
In response to the plan, Palestinian officials have called for international intervention and pressure on the Israeli government to reverse its policies. The United Nations has also spoken out against the plan, calling for an immediate end to the blockade and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the international community will respond to the Israeli government’s plan. One thing is certain, however: the fate of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip hangs in the balance, and the world must act to prevent further human rights abuses and violations of international law.
