02/06/2025

Israel Orders Military to Prepare for ‘Voluntary Departure’ of Gaza Residents

The residents of Gaza fear they'll lose their homeland

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that he has instructed the military to draft a plan to "allow voluntary departure" of Gaza residents from the enclave — days after President Donald Trump's controversial proposal for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip and remove all the people living there.

"I welcome President Trump's bold plan, which could enable a large segment of Gaza's [Palestinian] population to relocate to various destinations around the world," Katz said in a statement.

The Israeli plan would allow Gaza residents to depart for "any country willing to receive them," via land crossings or through "special arrangements for departure by sea and air," he said. Palestinians in Gaza have mostly not been able to leave the enclave since Israel began the war in October 2023, with some exceptions such as limited medical evacuations.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.