Israel says Gaza will be emptied if US agrees:Foreign minister says Hamas won’t disarm, relocation is needed to resolve crisis

Israel has prepared a plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and is waiting for the United States to decide which countries could receive them, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. Speaking at a conference hosted by Israeli news website Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Katz said Israel’s government was “organized and ready” to carry out the relocation by sea, air or any other possible means. “There can be no real solution for Gaza in the end without this exodus,” Katz said, according to reports. Trump backed away from Gaza relocation plan after Egypt’s opposition At the beginning of his second term, US President Donald Trump proposed relocating around 2 million Palestinians from Gaza. He also suggested rebuilding the territory and transforming it into a luxury resort on the Mediterranean coast. The proposal faced strong opposition from several countries, including Egypt, the only country besides Israel that shares a border with Gaza. Palestinians also rejected the idea, saying forced displacement would remind them of the 1948 Nakba, when large numbers of Palestinians were forced to leave their homes during the creation of Israel. Trump later moved away from the idea of permanently relocating Palestinians. In September 2025, he unveiled a 20-point plan to end the Gaza war. The plan called for a ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, and reconstruction of Gaza, but did not call for forcibly removing Palestinians from the territory. Katz says 80% of Gazans are ready to leave Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that the plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza has not been cancelled, but has only been “frozen”. He said the US and Israel are looking for countries willing to accommodate Palestinians. Katz also claimed that 80% of Gaza’s residents want to leave the territory, but Hamas is preventing them from doing so. The issue of forcibly removing Palestinians from Gaza is also serious under international law. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the forcible transfer or deportation of civilians from occupied territory. Such unlawful deportation or transfer can constitute a war crime under international criminal law. Netanyahu says Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli troops stationed in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and said the Israeli military would not withdraw from the areas it currently controls. This was Netanyahu’s first visit to Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October 2025. Speaking near the so-called Yellow Line, he said, “We are not retreating. We are staying on this line.” The Yellow Line marks the areas of Gaza under Israeli and Hamas control. Netanyahu said Israel currently controls around 60% of the Gaza Strip and would remain there until Hamas is disarmed. Hamas attack and Gaza death toll Following the Hamas-led attack on Israel, Israeli military operations have displaced a large part of Gaza’s population within the territory itself. According to Israeli figures, 1,221 people were killed in the October 7, 2023 attack. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the war began. It also says that more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire, which significantly reduced the fighting but did not completely stop Israeli military operations. Gaza war leaves 98% of land barren, 2.1 million people homeless The war has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Many are living in tents without reliable water or electricity, while more than half face severe food insecurity. Around 80% of the territory has been designated as military zones. According to UN estimates, removing the tens of millions of tonnes of rubble in Gaza could take years and require billions of dollars. More than 80% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, causing massive economic losses. Recent UN-linked estimates put the rubble at about 61–68 million tonnes. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded by launching a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. More than 66,000 Palestinians killed Millions of people displaced from northern and southern Gaza are now living in tents without adequate water, electricity or medicines. UN agencies say more than half the population is facing hunger. At least 66,158 Palestinians have been killed so far, including 18,430 children—around 31% of the total. About 39,384 children have been registered as having lost at least one parent. Around 17,000 Palestinian children have reportedly lost both parents. Aid agencies describe the devastation as leaving Gaza less like a city and more like a vast camp for survivors. ​