Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza, as Israel’s army was ordered to prepare plans for large numbers of Palestinians to leave the territory.
Netanyahu insisted that the plan — which Trump said would involve sending Gaza’s residents to neighboring countries and taking “long-term ownership” of the enclave —- was a “remarkable idea.”
In an interview with Fox News, he said: "It's an excellent idea, and it should be examined and pursued... The actual idea of allowing first Gazans who want to leave to leave, I mean, what is wrong with that?” he told Fox News, adding that those who leave the strip “can come back.”
“This is the first good idea that I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued, and done because I think it will create a different future for everyone,” Netanyahu added.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the army to prepare a plan to allow the "voluntary departure" of Gaza residents for any country willing to receive them, according to a statement issued by his office this week.
The directive follows Trump's remarks that the United States will take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it after Palestinians are relocated elsewhere. Trump made these remarks in a joint press conference with Netanyahu.
"I welcome President Trump's bold plan," Katz said, claiming that "the people of Gaza should have the right to freedom of movement and migration, as is customary everywhere in the world."
He added the plan would allow any "interested" Gaza resident to leave by land, sea, or air. Katz said, "Countries such as Spain, Ireland, Norway, and others," which Katz alleged have "falsely" accused Israel over its actions in Gaza, "are legally obligated to allow Gazans to enter their territory."
What did the White House say?
The White House clarified that Trump did not commit any funds for his proposal for the US to take over Gaza or deploy troops there for that purpose. Senior officials of the Trump administration also sought to make clear President Trump was not talking about indefinitely occupying Gaza as he seemed to have suggested in a news conference alongside visiting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The President has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the daily briefing this week. "He has also said that the United States is not going to pay for the rebuilding of Gaza. His administration is going to work with our partners in the region to reconstruct this region."
Asked if Leavitt was rolling back Trump's willingness to send American troops to Gaza to implement his plan, she said, "I am saying that the President has not committed to that just yet. He has not made that commitment."
