Welcome to Gaza: ‘We Are Not Leaving’

Israeli minister still hope to force Palestinians out of Gaza through ‘voluntary migration’ but this might be a pipe-dream

CROSSFIREARABIA – In the last few days the issue of displacing the Palestinians out of Gaza displayed its head yet again in the echelons of the Israeli government. This is after Itamar Bin Gvir, Israeli ministry of national security, outlined a detailed plan to push 1.86 Palestinians out of Gaza in the next seven years, Wednesday. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said there is a “ready plan” to do this but it is still waiting for a green light from the US administration in the White House. US President Donald Trump has so far put a “freeze” on the plan but it has not been removed off the table altogether Katz emphasizes. Bin Gvir said the plan as aimed at “voluntary displacement” seeks to push 250,000 Palestinians out of Gaza in the first year of its implementation and 1.11 million in the first three years. He stated that 1.86 Palestinians would be expected to leave in the seven-year-long plan, that is 80 percent of the population of Gaza estimated at around 2.2 million according to the Palestine Information Center. Ben Gvir wants to create an independent ministry called “Ministry of Voluntary Immigration” that would have a minister, a budget and a team for international negotiation.