Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has set out a plan for the forced expulsion of all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, proposing that the population be removed abroad over a period of several years. Speaking ahead of closely contested Israeli elections, Ben-Gvir said the plan aimed to remove 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year, followed by the remainder of the territory's population of roughly 2 million over the next six years.
The minister described the proposal as "realistic" and "concrete," despite international law prohibiting forced displacement of civilian populations. The plan, which has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organisations and legal experts, would involve the transfer of Palestinians to third countries, though no destination has been publicly identified. Ben-Gvir's remarks come as Israel prepares for elections that opinion polls suggest will be tightly fought, with the national security minister seeking to rally his political base around hardline positions on the Palestinian territories.
The proposal is the latest in a series of statements by far-right figures in the Israeli government advocating for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza, a territory that has been under Israeli military blockade since 2007. Previous similar proposals have been widely condemned by the international community, including by the United Nations, which has repeatedly affirmed the right of Palestinians to remain in their homes and return to properties from which they have been displaced.
Ben-Gvir's plan would require the cooperation of other states to receive the displaced population, a prospect that appears unlikely given the widespread international opposition to such schemes. Legal analysts note that the forced transfer of a civilian population within or from an occupied territory constitutes a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which protects civilians in times of war and occupation. The International Criminal Court has also indicated that forced displacement could fall within its jurisdiction as a war crime.
The announcement has intensified debate within Israel about the future of Gaza, where the majority of the population has already been displaced multiple times over the course of successive conflicts. Humanitarian agencies operating in the territory have warned that any large-scale removal of the population would create a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, compounding the severe shortages of food, water, medicine and shelter that already affect hundreds of thousands of residents.
Palestinian leaders have rejected the plan outright, describing it as an extension of what they term the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinian lands. Regional governments, including those of neighbouring Arab states, have also signalled their refusal to accept any forced transfer of Palestinians across their borders, citing both humanitarian concerns and the risk of destabilising the region further.
The timing of Ben-Gvir's statement, in the final stretch of an election campaign, has led observers to view the proposal as an appeal to nationalist voters rather than a fully developed government policy. Nonetheless, the minister holds a senior position in the current security cabinet, and his remarks are expected to influence the tone of the campaign debate on security and the Palestinian question.
No official response has yet been issued by the Israeli prime minister's office, and it remains unclear whether the plan has any backing within the broader government. International actors, including the United States and European Union member states, have consistently opposed unilateral actions that prejudge the final status of Gaza and the West Bank, and have called for a return to negotiations toward a two-state solution.
