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Katz: Plan to remove people from Gaza is still on the table

Speaking about Gaza, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said the approach based on Palestinians leaving the territory is still valid for Israel. At a conference organized on Wednesday by Israel-based Ynet, Katz argued that U.S. President Donald Trump did not cancel the plan outright, but only suspended it.

Katz said reducing Gaza's population remained the “only solution.” Rights advocates have long described the idea as ethnic cleansing. Some far-right Israeli figures had also previously called for Gaza to be emptied.

Plan Trump once backed was later frozen

According to the source text, Trump had argued during his first term that the United States could take over Gaza after Palestinians were removed. The proposal drew strong backlash across the region, including from Middle Eastern countries that work closely with Washington.

In the October 2025 ceasefire agreement later backed by Trump, Palestinians’ right to remain on their land was clearly included. The 12-point text said no one would be forcibly removed from Gaza and that those who chose to leave would have the right to return.

Questions over aid and reconstruction continue despite the ceasefire

According to the report, after the ceasefire took effect, Israel continued to restrict aid to Gaza and did not allow the reconstruction process to move forward. It also said near-daily attacks on Palestinians continued during the same period.

Katz also said Israel was ready to control Gaza by sea, air and other means. However, Egypt, which borders Gaza, has refused to accept Palestinian refugees, while other possible host countries would need U.S. support to do so, the report said.

  • Egypt is not accepting refugees from Gaza.
  • U.S. support is said to be necessary for other countries that could take in Palestinians.

Reactions also came from Washington

Following Katz's remarks, U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he and Senator Jeff Merkley had warned about such a plan when they visited the Gaza-Egypt border last year. In a social media post, Van Hollen said Katz's words confirmed that goal.

The report also recalled that the U.S. has provided about $25 billion in military aid over the past three years and has defended Israel on international platforms. In July, Trump announced a U.S.-backed process involving Hamas disarmament, an Israeli withdrawal and an end to the attacks. Israel rejected the proposal, saying it would not make concessions until Gaza was fully disarmed.

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