The proposal sets a target of moving 250,000 residents in the first year and 1.86 million within seven years through funded incentives to receiving countries.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on 2 September 2026 that Israel is prepared to implement a relocation plan if the United States gives approval.
The announcement comes ahead of the 27 October 2026 legislative elections as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition navigates stalled peace negotiations.
The Geneva Conventions classify the forced displacement of civilian populations in occupied territories as a war crime.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir presented a campaign proposal on 3 September 2026 to depopulate the Gaza Strip by transferring its Palestinian population abroad. The plan establishes an initial target of 250,000 Palestinians departing under what the minister described as voluntary migration within one year. Over the subsequent six years, the initiative aims to expand departures to reach 1.86 million residents, encompassing the population of the war-ravaged territory. Ben Gvir proposed that the Israeli government directly fund the program by extending financial incentives to third-party countries willing to accept the migrants. Although he insisted that multiple foreign governments are prepared to receive residents from Gaza, he declined to name any specific participating nations. Under international law and the Geneva Conventions, the forced displacement of civilian populations from occupied territories constitutes a war crime.
“Instead of digging tunnels, it is time to pack bags.”
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The proposal follows remarks made on 2 September 2026 by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who confirmed that Israel is prepared to execute a population transfer if the United States grants approval. Katz stated that Donald Trump previously suggested transferring roughly two million Gaza residents into neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan before pausing the proposal due to international outcry. According to Katz, the transfer concept remains an active subject of continuous diplomatic discussions, claiming that Arab opposition had frozen rather than terminated the initiative. Katz also asserted, without providing supporting documentation, that 80% of Gaza residents wish to leave the enclave but are prevented from departing by Hamas. Similar population transfer ideas have circulated among other cabinet members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who proposed a comparable displacement scheme for Palestinians in the West Bank in February 2026.
Ben Gvir defended the practical feasibility of his transfer scheme during his public presentation ahead of the autumn parliamentary vote.
The relocation initiative follows a series of hardline actions and statements by the National Security Minister in recent months. During a podcast interview with a former hostage, Ben Gvir called for nightly targeted operations to eliminate 30 to 40 Palestinians across Gaza, arguing that those targeted should not remain alive and adding that calling them human beings was a compliment. Two weeks prior to the plan's unveiling, Ben Gvir announced the start of construction on a dedicated gallows facility designed for executing Palestinians sentenced to death. Earlier in May 2026, following the interception of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, Ben Gvir released video footage showing detained activists handcuffed face down at the port of Ashdod while he waved an Israeli flag and broadcast the national anthem.
The far-right minister unveiled the transfer program as Israeli political factions prepare for competitive legislative elections scheduled for 27 October 2026. Ben Gvir serves as a critical coalition partner to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has resisted international frameworks aimed at concluding the war in Gaza. Several weeks ago, Netanyahu rejected the continuation of a peace plan proposed by Donald Trump, which had outlined the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza alongside the disarmament of Hamas. The introduction of the seven-year evacuation plan aligns with ongoing efforts by nationalist parties within the governing coalition to reshape the demographic composition of the Palestinian territories ahead of the October vote.
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Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir unveiled a campaign proposal to transfer 1.86 million Palestinians out of Gaza over seven years, ahead of the 27 October legislative elections.
AI text based on reports by Le Monde.fr, ΣΚΑΪ, G4Media.ro and other publishers. Published .