Israeli military to create plan for Palestinians to leave Gaza Strip
Israel's defense minister said European nations that accused the country of disproportionate attacks in Gaza are "legally obligated" to accept Palestinian refugees as Middle Eastern countries rejected President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate all of the enclave's residents.
On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he directed Israel's defense forces to draw up "a plan that will allow any resident of Gaza who wishes to leave to do so, to any country willing to receive them." He said the army would provide "exit options via land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departure by sea and air."
Countries "such as Spain, Ireland, Norway, and others" that have accused Israel of disproportionate attacks on civilians and violations of laws governing war "are legally obligated to allow Gazans to enter their territory," he wrote on X.
Middle Eastern countries reject Trump's Gaza 'takeover'
It comes after Trump deviated from decades of American foreign policy in the Middle East in his proposal on Tuesday to "take over" and "own" the war-torn Gaza Strip. The White House quickly walked back his comments; spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters Trump "has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza" or to pay for its rebuilding.
But his statements still sent shock waves through Middle Eastern countries that worked to broker the ceasefire and hostage release deal struck between Israel and Hamas last month after more than a year of war.
Saudi Arabia, which has long refused to normalize its relations with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state, said its position was still "firm and unwavering."
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In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged other countries to "support the implementation of the two-state solution," according to a statement from his office.
Forcibly displacing civilians is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Humanitarian organizations already have accused Israel of the intentional displacement of Palestinians, amounting to "ethnic cleansing."
But Trump's proposal would go a step further – "it would move the U.S. from being complicit in war crimes to direct perpetration of atrocities," Lama Fakih, of Human Rights Watch, said in a statementWednesday.
"It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Trump Wednesday. "It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing."
Israel launched its 15-month siege of Gaza after Hamas, the militant group that governs the enclave, launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking about 250 hostages.
In the ensuing conflict, more than 47,000 Palestinians were killed, according to the Hamas run Gaza Health Ministry, including more than 13,000 children. Much of the enclave was reduced to rubble and 90% of its population was displaced.
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