Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, ordered the Army on Thursday to prepare a plan to allow civilians wishing to leave the Gaza Strip to do so, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to take control of the enclave by expelling the entire population.
"The people of Gaza should be allowed to enjoy freedom of movement and the freedom to immigrate, as is customary worldwide," Katz's office reported in a statement.
So far, the only details that have emerged about this plan are that Israel will provide various exit options for Gazans including land crossings, as well as by sea and air through "special agreements."
In the statement, Katz also mentioned that they are working on another proposal "that will take many years to complete" for the reconstruction of a "demilitarized Gaza, free from threats in the post-Hamas era."
"Hamas used Gaza residents as human shields and built terrorist infrastructure in the heart of the population, and now holds them hostage, extorting money from them through the use of humanitarian aid and preventing them from leaving Gaza," the Defense Minister denounced.
On the other hand, the Israeli minister stated that if some countries like Spain, Ireland, or Norway refuse to host Palestinians, "their hypocrisy will be exposed" after "launching false accusations against Israel" since the Israeli invasion of the Strip began.