ISRAEL – Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza Strip is still on the table, according to Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, adding that their displacement is a realistic necessity.
Speaking to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Cohen said the so-called “voluntary migration” plan proposed by Trump is being followed up.”
Since February, Trump has repeatedly called to “take over” Gaza and resettle its population to develop it into a tourist destination. His plan was rejected by the Arab world and many other nations, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
“Efforts to implement the plan are ongoing on the ground,” Cohen said, without providing further details.
The Israeli minister said there are “advanced talks” with two countries regarding the issue, without naming them. He, however, said that one of the two countries is “Islamic.”
“I don’t see a serious reconstruction process on the horizon for the Gaza Strip in the coming years,” Cohen said. “Promoting the option of voluntary migration has become a realistic necessity imposed by the current situation in Gaza.”
Late Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that his army continues to destroy homes in Gaza to prevent Palestinians from returning and to force them to emigrate.
Nearly 52,900 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
