Israel ‘seeking Trump’s support for plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza’

What Happened

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel is seeking Donald Trump’s support for a plan to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, telling a conference hosted by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth that there was “no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration” and that the Israeli government was “organised and prepared to get them out by sea, by air, by every way possible.” Katz claimed Trump had frozen but not cancelled the idea, and that US backing was crucial to convince neighbouring countries, particularly Egypt, which Katz said had lobbied Washington to oppose the forced removal of the Palestinian population. The White House did not immediately respond to a request from the Guardian for comment on whether Trump was continuing to hold discussions on Israel’s proposals to forcibly depopulate the Gaza Strip. Separately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an Israeli military post close to the yellow line in the Gaza Strip and said Israel would not pull back from that line until Hamas disarmed, despite calls for a phased withdrawal under a recent ceasefire.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza would be widely seen as ethnic cleansing and a potential war crime, and it threatens to derail the current ceasefire framework by contradicting calls for phased Israeli withdrawal. Katz’s remarks, made during a competitive Israeli election season, signal that parts of the Israeli government continue to push for an outcome that could reshape Gaza’s demographics and strain relations with Egypt, Jordan, and other US partners.

Watch For

Monitor whether the White House issues a response or clarifies whether Trump is still discussing forced depopulation proposals with Israel. Watch for any formal Israeli government decision or operational preparations to move Palestinians out of Gaza, as well as Egypt’s next statements or diplomatic moves in Washington. Also track whether Netanyahu’s pledge to remain on the yellow line until Hamas disarms leads to a breakdown or renegotiation of the ceasefire and phased withdrawal terms.