Israeli leaders announce plan to cleanse Gaza

The foreign ministers of eight Musilm countries—Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia—issued a joint condemnation Sept. 6 of remarks by Israeli cabinet ministers announcing plans for the mass displacement the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. (ToI)

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sept. 2 said that Israel is seeking the support of Donald Trump for the scheme, saying that there is "no real solution for Gaza without migration" and that the Israeli government is "organized and ready to get them out." The next day, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir followed up by saying that Israel has a plan to expel all 2.1 million Palestinians from Gaza over the next six years, starting with 250,000 people in the first year. Ben-Gvir claimed that there are countries willing to take in expelled Palestinians, but did not specify which ones. 

Ben-Gvir is alternately calling his plan "Disengagement 7-10," a reference to the October 7 attacks, or the more euphemistic "National Work Plan for Voluntary Emigration from the Gaza Strip." 

The vast majority of the Strip's Palestinians are barred from entering the nearly 70% of Gaza currently under direct Israeli military occupation. Around 2.1 million Palestinians are crammed into the remaining territory, where Israel also exerts significant control, including continuing to restrict aid access and the blocking of any reconstruction efforts. (TNH, JNS)