Concerns about Israeli plans for Gaza and Palestinian displacement

[JadeHare]

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/28/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-military-70-percent-gaza-intl

Doesn’t look like there will be much land left for the Palestinians.

And in other news, from the Guardian:

“Israel’s defence minister has said he is committed to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza through large-scale migration of Palestinians as part of Israel’s long-term plans for the territory.
Israel Katz said the government would implement a plan for large numbers of Palestinians to leave Gaza “at the right time and in the right manner”, in a statement on Wednesday marking the targeted killing of Mohammed Odeh, Hamas’s most recent military commander.
Pushing for mass departures violates Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for Gaza, which Israel signed last year. The second point of the plan states: “Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.”
Israel’s government has promoted the prospect of Gaza without Palestinians since Trump suggested early last year that hundreds of thousands of people should leave to “clean out” the strip for reconstruction.
Last year Israel set up a bureau for “voluntary emigration” and eased travel restrictions for Palestinians who wanted to make a one-way journey out of the strip.
The forced transfer of civilian populations is a war crime and a crime against humanity. Israeli officials, including Katz, use the term “voluntary migration” to describe their ”

Excerpt From
“Israel’s defence minister says large-scale Palestinian migration from Gaza will go ahead”
Emma Graham-Harrison
The Guardian
https://apple.news/AnnlpJqlOTdW5cUbA9NEe1Q
This material may be protected by copyright.

Thank you for starting the thread. Very predictable how it has ended up. Let's hope the international community start taking Israel's genocidal and ethnic cleansing threats seriously and move beyond stern words.

I wish I could agree, but the restrictions were there for a reason. Hamas came to power on a much more extreme stance than the PA, which was seen as more reconciliatory. They were clear about what they wanted to do to Israel. And they proved everyone who believed that about them right with their violence towards Israeli civilians.

It was up to Hamas to give Palestinians a decent standard of living- and they directed resources away from a future for their own and towards killing Jews.

I agree BN bears responsibility for propping up Hamas to split Palestinians and he needs to go as much as Hamas does. Israelis can decide about that at the polls. Palestinians cannot.

Lets say propping up Hamas was also a very big self own?

If it's untrue that no other country will take them, can anyone name a country that has offered to take them, apart from for medical reasons? One of their neighbours maybe?

No country offers to take Palestinian refugees and their lives just get worse and worse. Every country is scared - not by ordinary Gazans but by the extremist element (Hamas supporters) who they may inadvertently let into their own country.

Back on topic, it was always the plan, it was predictable looking at history.

7 months ago Trump's Middle East negotiators Steve Witkoff (real estate mogul) and Jared Kushner (also Trump's son in law) gave an interview to CBS News 60 minutes. At approximately 34 minutes they discuss the plans they've been working on for 2 year aka since October 2023.

Witkoff : "I think the beginning of this plan is how to get it going and that's that's what me and what me and Jared work on all the time.

The money raising we think is the easy part. We think that happens relatively quickly, but it's the master plan and we're working with a group of people who have um uh been working on master plans for the last two years."

Interviewer: So there are plans already.

Witkoff: We have plans already. We have a master plan already. And by the way, and Jared's been pushing this and we're working together on it. And I think if the world saw the progress so far, they'd be pretty impressed.

Kushner: Yeah. So, so basically over the last couple years there's been a lot of
organizations that have been trying to determine what happens after the war.

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You know there’s a third set of people, right? Those who are sick of both the supporters of the Israeli government and the terrorists. Sick of the hate marches and the stirring up of antisemitism in the UK.

Why is Palestine being made the central issue in UK politics? The UK and its people are facing many issues themselves such as the cost of living and the state of the NHS. Right now I have a relative in hospital who has multiple fractures and has been waiting a week to be operated on.

If you stepped outside your own head and own bubbles you would see that actually the ‘silent’ majority of the UK do not want this issue to rule UK politics.

You’re blinding them with common sense and reason. And they won’t answer properly, because they never do.

Yes I fully agree with your last paragraphs. If only all these men had used diplomacy and forward thinking years ago.

I understand where you are coming from at the start of your post but Israel has had an economic policy of suppressing the Palestinian economy for years. They also hampered economic growth and building through their system if permits. Not all of these were necessary for Israeli safety, many were purely to make life harder . The economy was mishandled by both Hamas and Israel.
Hamas were only voted in by a small margin.(44% to Fatah 41%) 20 years ago. Their dictatorial regime and refusal to hold elections has condemned the population to live in the most horrendous conditions.

Why is Palestine being made the central issue in UK politics?
Is it? Can you show me examples of this

And lest we forget Trump's video of Gaza reimagined.

I'm not in the UK

No other country wants to be complicit in ethnic cleansing.

No I won't "give over" which I'm also tired of hearing when I express an opinion.

Why don't you just accept that people have different opinions and if you want to make a point about the topic being discussed you can make it without insults.

I used to find this board shocking, now I find the constant nastiness boring.

It's not ethnic cleansing to offer refuge to people in a crisis.

As long as the refugees are going willingly, no other country would be complicit in ethnic cleansing, but people in the West seem to be making the decision for Palestinians in Gaza that they shouldn't leave Gaza. Shouldn't that be for them to decide?

Palestine is far from the central issue in U.K. politics, it’s not even close to being the central issue whatsoever so what do you mean?

Why don't you just accept that people have different opinions and if you want to make a point about the topic being discussed you can make it without insults.

Just reread your first post on this thread and ask yourself how people were meant to take it and how you think it was expressing a different opinion on the thread topic.

you can make it without insults.
I do

I believe you are in Ireland but that doesn't change the comment by @WhatYouWearing that the ‘silent’ majority of the UK do not want this issue to rule UK politics.

I go onto the Politics board too and it is a common view expressed on there that people do not see why this issue should rule UK politics.

CITME board is not mainstream Mumsnet.

As long as the refugees are going willingly,
Refugees from Gaza do and have gone willingly and countries have taken them in.

but people in the West seem to be making the decision for Palestinians in Gaza that they shouldn't leave Gaza. Shouldn't that be for them to decide?
Who in the west are making decisions for Palestinians on whether they should leave?

Shouldn't that be for them to decide?
Absolutely. But that is not what is being proposed is it? Since when has Israel let Palestinians in Gaza decide on anything when it comes to leaving or remaining in Gaza

You know I'm in Ireland you have criticised and mocked the country often enough whenever they take a stand against Israel.

It doesn't rule politics over here so I can't see how it does in the UK .

What a hyperbolic statement.

I think some posters were so quick to have a go at people they have not read what the Israeli defence Minister has threatened:

Israel’s defence minister has said he is committed to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza through large-scale migration of Palestinians as part of Israel’s long-term plans for the territory.
Israel Katz said the government would implement a plan for large numbers of Palestinians to leave Gaza “at the right time and in the right manner”,

It has nothing to do with choice on the part of Palestinians

I would go so far as to say what he has promised not threatened.

Which countries have taken refugees from Gaza apart from, as I asked earlier, those needing medical treatment?

You are someone who seems to be one of the people making decisions for Palestinians by dismissing the idea of them moving to another country as ethnic cleansing. That's very convenient for their neighbours like Egypt who haven't offered to take Palestinian refugees anyway. Not just because of potential accusations of ethnic cleaning but also due to the effect it would have on their economy and how it would affect them if Hamas were amongst the refugees.

Almost immediately after the start of the conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his governing coalition began a concerted effort to persuade first the European Union and then the United States to pressure Egypt to accept Palestinian refugees. Egypt refused, for three reasons. The first reason was that Cairo feared that any displacement would become permanent ...The second reason was more pragmatic. Letting in women, children, and the injured is one thing. Allowing in up to 2 million people with no opportunity to conduct appropriate vetting is another. A mass influx of refugees would certainly include armed members of Hamas who would continue their fight against Israel from Egyptian territory.

mei.edu/publication/pressuring-egypt-over-gaza-will-not-work-and-not-us-interest/

Which countries have taken refugees from Gaza apart from, as I asked earlier, those needing medical treatment?
Do you honestly think no country would take any refugees from Gaza if they were look for asylum. What is so wrong with them that you would think that?

I mean a quick Google would give you the answer and I find it pretty depressing that I have to list them to prove their worth to you. Some stats here
https://www.worlddata.info/asia/palestine/asylum.php

You are someone who seems to be one of the people making decisions for Palestinians by dismissing the idea of them moving to another country as ethnic cleansing.
No I'm not making decisions for Palestinians stop with the hyperbole, I'm talking about ethnic cleansing not Palestinians moving to another country. I've explained the distinction to you already. I've posted the exact words from the Israeli Defence Minister, why don't you believe him?

I simply asked which countries have taken Palestinian refugees apart from for medical reasons - obviously meaning since the start of the Gaza war - since it is well known that none of their neighbours in the Middle East have offered to take them. The link you provided does not only relate to the period since the Gaza war began but it's interesting to note that 0.256% of all residents emigrated in 2024 and that the most common destination countries have been Belgium, Greece and Ireland.

I think it is worth people reflecting on why close neighbours like Egypt have refused to take Palestinian refugees despite pressure to do so. The answer is obviously not that any country thinks there is something "wrong with them." The reality is that countries like Egypt fear Hamas members coming in along with ordinary Palestinians.

That very real possibility makes it easy to understand Egypt's reluctance. But the fact that Hamas are embedded within the population of Gaza is also what makes it so hard to see how there can be any hope of peace in the region unless Hamas are eliminated.

There are many reasons why Egypt does not want refugees from Israel due to what the president has called a "systematic war of genocide"

Firstly as you correctly say Hamas embedded into the population.
But also they have called the displacement or second Nakba a red line and don't want to be part of it.
Thirdly Egypt has a huge homeless problem and already supports 9million migrants including 150000 Palestinian refugees.

It is a bit simplistic to only see one reason.

Should be an irrelevant argument anyway because there is no reason for any Palestinian to leave their homeland no matter how much Israel wants it.

They did. In 2005. Even left them greenhouses to continue a thriving business left behind by the Jews evicted from their communities. And then they burnt them down, elected hamas and turned Gaza into a terror hotbed complete with an underground tunnel network and rocket launchers.