US Rejects Israel's Plan to Evacuate Gaza

WASHINGTON – The United States has openly rejected calls from high-ranking Israeli officials to move the Palestinian population out of Gaza. This demonstrates a rare divergence in stance between the two allied nations.

When asked for a response regarding the call by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz to evacuate Gaza of its inhabitants as the only “solution” to the crisis, the US State Department reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to President Donald Trump’s 20-point “peace plan” which established a “ceasefire” last year.

“As explicitly stated in Point 12 of the President’s plan: ‘No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave are free to do so and free to return. We will encourage citizens to stay and offer opportunities for them to build a better Gaza’,” a State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera in a statement on Friday.

“The United States does not support any plan or proposal regarding the forced transfer, expulsion, or mandatory relocation of the residents of Gaza,” the spokesperson added.

Katz previously stated that Trump had only “suspended”—rather than cancelled—his support for the idea of moving Palestinians out of the territory; a proposal that human rights activists argue is equivalent to ethnic cleansing.

“Ultimately, there is no real solution for Gaza without this migration,” Katz said on Wednesday. Israeli officials have used the term “migration” as a euphemism for emptying Gaza of its population. Katz stated that the Israeli government is prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza “via sea, air, and any other means to achieve it,” adding that the idea “is under continuous discussion.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made similar remarks to Katz the following day. “Instead of the current illusion of peace, we need emigration action now,” said Ben-Gvir. “Rather than [Palestinians] digging tunnels, it is time for them to pack.”

Arab nations, including several close allies of the US, have firmly rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land.