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After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed enthusiastic support for U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza initiative, Defense Minister Israeli Katz on Thursday morning instructed the IDF "to prepare a plan to allow voluntary departure for Gaza residents, including special arrangements for exit by sea and air," although Israel has not yet officially adopted any such plan.
"I welcome U.S. President Trump's bold plan, which could allow a large population in Gaza to leave for various places in the world," said Katz. “Hamas used Gaza residents as human shields and built terror infrastructure in the heart of the population, and is now holding them hostage, extorting money from them by use of humanitarian aid, and preventing them from leaving Gaza."
"I have instructed the IDF to prepare a plan that will allow any resident of Gaza who is interested to leave to any place in the world that agrees to accept them."
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Defense Minister Israel Katz with senior IDF officials
(tzilum: ariel harmoni, misrad habitchon 33 / 5,000 Photo: Ariel Hermoni, Ministry of Defense)
The Defense Ministry's Counter-Terrorism Unit is supposed to be responsible for this, but Katz turned his attention to the IDF and said that the plan he wanted to prepare should include "exit options at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air."
Katz even detailed a list of countries that he claims are obligated to allow Gazans to immigrate to them: "Countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway and others, which have made false accusations and plots against Israel due to its activities in Gaza, are obligated by law to allow every Gazan resident to enter their territory - and their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse to do so. There are countries like Canada, which has a regulated immigration program, that have expressed a desire in the past to absorb residents from Gaza. Gazans should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration as is customary everywhere in the world."
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According to Katz, "U.S. President Trump's bold plan can create extensive possibilities for the departure of a population from Gaza who is interested in doing so, and also help them be optimally absorbed in the target countries, as well as enable the advancement of reconstruction plans in a demilitarized and threat-free Gaza in the post-Hamas era, which will last for many years."
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Fox praises Trump's Gaza plan
(צילום: fox news)
During the press conference that Trump held with Netanyahu a little over a day ago, the U.S. president said: "We'll take over Gaza, flatten it. We'll clear out bombs and destroyed houses, that's a great idea." During the statement, Trump also reiterated his intention to complete the entire hostage deal, and threatened Hamas: "If all the hostages are not released, we will be more violent."
Trump added that "the Gaza Strip has been a source of destruction and so bad for the people, the lives of the residents there are miserable. They need to go to other places. There are many of them who want to go from there. 1.8 million Gazans need to leave. The rich countries in the region need to finance it. They can go to one area, or seven or 12. We will ensure that something amazing is done. We will have peace and they will not shoot, kill and destroy."