Israel’s defense minister says he has instructed the army to prepare plans for large numbers of Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip in line with President Donald Trump’s proposal for the war-ravaged territory.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said the plan “will include options for exit at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air.”
He said he welcomed Trump’s “bold plan, which could allow a large population in Gaza to leave for various places in the world.”
He did not say whether Palestinians would be able to one day return to Gaza, which has been rendered largely uninhabitable by Israel’s 15-month military campaign against Hamas.
Trump on Wednesday proposed that most of Gaza’s population be “permanently” resettled elsewhere while the United States rebuilds the territory.
U.S. officials later said the relocation would only be temporary, but Palestinians fear Israel would never allow them to return, deepening and perpetuating a refugee crisis dating back to the establishment of the state.
Trump’s plan was roundly rejected by the Palestinians and much of the international community. Rights groups said it would amount to forcible displacement in violation of international law.
Here’s the latest:
2 Israeli soldiers die after crane accidentally collapses in Gaza
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says two soldiers died and another was severely injured in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media on Thursday reported that the deaths were caused by the accidental collapse of a crane in the border area. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
They are the first Israeli soldiers to die in Gaza since a ceasefire agreement took hold last month, halting the 15-month war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire, which runs until early March, Israeli forces have withdrawn from most of the territory and are mainly concentrated along the border. The military has warned Palestinians to avoid areas where troops are operating and has opened fire on people accused of violating the terms of the agreement.
In the current phase, Hamas is set to gradually free a total of 33 hostages captured in the initial attack in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The terms of the second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens more hostages in return for more prisoners and a lasting ceasefire, have yet to be agreed upon.