Ben Gvir backs Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza
Far-right Israeli politician Itamar Ben Gvir expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting that Palestinians from Gaza should be relocated, Reuters reported on February 5th.
In a post on X on February 4th, the former Minister for National Security called the suggestion “encouraging” and saying that it represented the only viable strategy after the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Ben Gvir urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement the policy “immediately”. The politician, a member of a political movement advocating for Jewish settlement in Gaza, joined settler groups in the occupied West Bank in pushing for swift action on the matter.
In remarks made on February 4th during a visit to Washington by Netanyahu, Trump raised the possibility of relocating the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza. He suggested that Gaza had become uninhabitable after almost 16 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The six-week truce, brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and supported by the US, has largely held. However, prospects for a long-term resolution remain uncertain.
The Nachala Movement, which promotes Jewish settlement in the West Bank, echoed these views. In a statement shared on X, the movement urged the establishment of settlements throughout the Gaza Strip should Trump’s remarks be implemented. The statement also said: “No part of the land of Israel should be left without Jewish settlement. If an area remains desolate, it may be captured by enemies.”
Human rights advocates strongly condemned such proposals, labelling them as ethnic cleansing. Forced displacement would likely breach international law.
The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank. This followed Israeli attacks that killed 70 Palestinians, including 10 children this year, The National reported on February 3rd.
Israel carried out an offensive on the West Bank two weeks ago. Known as the “Iron Wall,” the operation imposed a severe siege on the West Bank’s northern cities, prompting the deterioration of the economy and restrictions on movement.
Reuters, The National
