Arab nations along with other countries and organizations such as Human Rights Watch have rejected Trump’s proposal as amounting to ethnic cleansing.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that the government will set up a ‘migration directorate’ to implement US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and resettle them in a third country, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported.
“This (Trump) plan is taking shape, with ongoing actions in coordination with the (US) administration,” Smotrich on Sunday reportedly told members of the Knesset lobby the “Land of Israel” which works to advance illegal settlements in Palestinian territories.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezelal Smotrich stated today that they are working with the U.S. administration to identify the countries where Gaza residents will migrate, pointing out that there are preparations to establish a very large immigration administration. pic.twitter.com/qfGQGuoyev
— Chris Hutchinson (@ChrisHu34451470) March 9, 2025
“We are establishing a Migration Directorate, we are preparing for this thing headed by the prime minister and the defence minister. The budget won’t be an obstacle for this,” Smotrich said.
“Just to give you an idea – if we remove 10,000 people a day, seven days a week, it will take six months. If we remove 5,000 people a day, it will take a year. Of course, this is assuming we have countries willing to take them, but these are very, very, very long processes,” he added, according to the MEMO report.
Trump’s Proposal
Trump has proposed that the Gaza population be displaced to a third country and the US takes over the enclave in a bid to transform into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Far-right Minister of Settlement and National Missions, Orit Strook, said during the meeting that even with Hamas removed as a “civilian and military authority”, “the threat” to Israel will persist – referring to civilians there – and therefore there has to be a plan to remove them, the report continued.
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“This is the direction we are heading, and I say this as a member of the government and the cabinet; the government will bear responsibility,” she added.
In turn, Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, and the Yesha Council, the umbrella organisation of all illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank said: “Israel is going through a historic moment – we have an American president who encourages us to think outside the box. We do not need more proposals, we need to start implementing this one!”
‘In Coming Weeks’
Ganz claimed that the new “migration directorate” would include representatives from other government ministries and security agencies, and would oversee the implementation of a plan that would allow any Palestinian from Gaza to receive broad-based assistance that includes, among other things, special exit arrangements via sea, air and land.
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The Times of Israel reported on Sunday that Smotrich claimed in an interview with the Israeli Channel 12 last month, that Israel was actively in communication with the White House to discuss Trump’s proposal.
“The process of emigration from Gaza will begin in the coming weeks,” Smotrich reportedly stated. “Gazans will have nothing to look for in Gaza in the next 10-15 years. After we return to fighting and all of Gaza looks like Jabalia — they will have nothing to look for there at all.”
Rejection of Trump Proposal
Arab nations along with other countries and organizations such as Human Rights Watch have rejected Trump’s proposal as amounting to ethnic cleansing.
On Tuesday, an emergency Arab summit in Cairo adopted Egypt’s $53 billion reconstruction plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians from their land.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan to relocate millions of Gazans to other countries is “taking shape”. pic.twitter.com/EkexbeoCMq
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 9, 2025
Following the summit, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprised of 57 member states, announced on Thursday its adoption of the Egyptian plan for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.
The statement highlighted that the meeting adopted “the plan presented by the Arab Republic of Egypt for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza,” urging the international community and financial institutions to provide the necessary support for its implementation.
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It also stressed that these efforts should align with launching a political process aimed at achieving a just and lasting solution to fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for statehood and living in peace and security.
(MEMO, PC)
