Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, unveiled a proposal on Thursday aimed at evacuating the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip. This plan, which precedes the upcoming legislative elections in Israel set for October, has generated significant international condemnation, as reported by AFP.
The plan envisions the departure of approximately 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza within the first year, followed by the relocation of the remaining two million residents affected by the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Ben-Gvir asserted that the plan is “realistic,” claiming that several countries are “prepared” to accept Palestinian evacuees, although he did not specify which nations were involved.
Recently, Ben-Gvir has made inflammatory comments calling for further violence against Palestinians in Gaza, suggesting that targeted killings should occur nightly. “Eliminate 30 or 40 of them,” he stated in a podcast with a former hostage, expressing a belief that many Palestinians should not be alive.
He controversially remarked on the nature of Palestinians, stating, “I make a compliment by calling them human beings,” while also announcing the construction of a “hanging center” for Palestinians sentenced to death just two weeks ago.
In May, following the interception of the Gaza flotilla, Ben-Gvir released a video showing flotilla members kneeling with their faces down in Ashdod port, handcuffed and crammed into a tight space. He welcomed them to Israel while waving an Israeli flag, accompanied by the national anthem playing in the background.
