Watan-The American news outlet reported on Friday, citing two Israeli officials, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked Mossad chief David Barnea with seeking countries willing to accept large numbers of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. This comes amid ongoing efforts by the Israeli occupation—backed by the United States—to impose forced displacement on the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The two Israeli officials, along with a former American official, stated that talks have already been held with Somalia and South Sudan—two poor countries in East Africa—as well as other nations, including Indonesia. They noted that Netanyahu assigned the Mossad this secret mission several weeks ago.
The Israeli government has been actively pursuing plans to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza for weeks, bolstered by unprecedented U.S. support. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his vision of turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Trump’s Gaza Relocation Proposal Rejected by Egypt and Jordan
Trump first proposed the idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza on January 25 by urging Egypt and Jordan to receive more residents from the Strip. When asked whether this proposal was meant to be a long-term or short-term solution, he responded, “It could be either.” Both Cairo and Amman rejected the displacement plans, which have drawn widespread Arab and international condemnation.
Israel Advances Gaza Displacement Plans Despite Denials and International Pushback
In this context, two American officials said Trump is not currently actively pursuing the implementation of his plan to displace Palestinians. Instead, his envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is fully focused on brokering a new agreement between Israel and Hamas aimed at securing the release of Israeli captives and reestablishing a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Israeli media claimed the start of what they called the “first practical experiment” to encourage Gazans to emigrate, reporting that 100 residents of Gaza had traveled to Indonesia to work in the construction sector. The reports said the Israeli authorities intended to prevent them from returning. However, on Thursday, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied this, stressing that there are no agreements or discussions with any party—including Israel—regarding the relocation of Gaza residents to Indonesia.
Last Saturday, Israel’s Security and Political Affairs Cabinet approved a proposal by Security Minister Yisrael Katz to establish a special “directorate” to facilitate the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. This is part of Israel’s broader expulsion plans, which have been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The directorate would oversee what is being termed the “voluntary relocation of Gaza residents to third countries for those who express willingness.” In reality, this refers to the creation of a hostile environment—through war crimes such as siege, starvation, dehydration, and the destruction of all civilian and health infrastructure—designed to deprive Palestinians of any reason to remain in their homeland, which Israel has turned into ruins.
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