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Katz: Emigration Frozen
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said plans to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from Gaza remain under discussion but have been “frozen” by U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a conference organized by the Israeli news site Ynet and the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
“they have simply been “frozen” by U.S. President Donald Trump”
Katz told the event, “At the end, there is no real solution for Gaza without this migration,” and he added that “80 percent want to emigrate,” while saying Hamas does not allow it and “there are no countries in the world that will welcome them.”
Katz said the migration directorate is organized to remove Gaza residents “by sea, by air, and by any available means,” and he argued that Egypt “is not prepared for this to happen through its territory.”
In parallel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured IDF positions inside the enclave and said Israel intended to maintain its hold along the Yellow Line, while Katz said the Migration Directorate is ready to enable Gazans to leave by sea, air or other routes.
Katz also argued that advancing the plan would ultimately require U.S. support, saying, “For now, Trump has not canceled it; he has frozen it,” as he described Arab governments pressuring Trump with investments in exchange for freezing the initiative.
Netanyahu: No Withdrawal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel does not plan to withdraw from territory its military controls in Gaza, vowing to continue efforts to disarm Hamas and demilitarise the enclave while standing near the Yellow Line.
Netanyahu told reporters, “We control the territory and are not withdrawing,” and he added, “We are staying on this line,” as he pointed toward Israeli communities visible from the area including Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot and the kibbutzim.
The ynetglobal report said Netanyahu was accompanied by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and Brig. Gen. Elad Tzuri, commander of the 99th Division, and he received briefings on IDF activity along the line.
Katz, speaking alongside Netanyahu’s tour, said Israel controls “about 70% of the territory” and that “There are no residents, no homes and no tunnels,” while also claiming Hamas still exists in the enclave covering “30-something percent” of the territory.
AzerNews reported Netanyahu said Israel controls 60% of the Gaza Strip and that Israeli forces will remain along the current Yellow Line, while also claiming the head of Hamas's General Security Service was captured the previous day.
Ceasefire, Control, Next Steps
As the United States called for a ceasefire in Gaza, Antony Blinken and the U.S. State Department urged both parties to halt hostilities and pursue negotiations, while Netanyahu’s remarks underscored Israel’s position that military operations would continue until stated objectives are achieved.
““We control the area. We are not retreating. We are staying on this line,””
Arab News said Netanyahu pledged continued military presence despite the ceasefire push, quoting him near the Yellow Line: “We control the area. We are not retreating. We are staying on this line,” while describing the boundary between areas under Hamas control and the Israeli military.
Al Jazeera’s coverage framed Netanyahu’s stance as a refusal to withdraw, with the prime minister saying Israel does not plan to withdraw from territory its military controls in Gaza and vowing to continue efforts to disarm Hamas and demilitarise the enclave.
Katz tied the emigration plan to Hamas’s commitments, saying when it becomes clear that Hamas is not fulfilling its commitments “within the framework of the American plan for the Strip,” Israel would receive “the green light to advance in military and territorial realms.”
In the same reporting stream, News18 said Netanyahu insisted that Israel would not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed and Gaza is demilitarised, while also stating that Israel currently controls 60% of the Strip and that “there is still more to come” as operations continue.