Ben-Gvir unveils illegal plan to remove entire Gaza population

Israel’s National Security Minister has presented a plan to illegally expel all <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/02/netanyahu-vows-no-retreat-from-gaza-after-terrifying-israeli-commando-raid/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/02/netanyahu-vows-no-retreat-from-gaza-after-terrifying-israeli-commando-raid/">Gazans</a> to foreign countries, a policy he claimed was “realistic”. Itamar <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/17/israels-ben-gvir-calls-for-killing-30-to-40-gazans-each-night/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/17/israels-ben-gvir-calls-for-killing-30-to-40-gazans-each-night/">Ben-Gvir</a> said his proposal aims to remove 250,000 Palestinians from the strip in its first year, followed by the rest of its two million population over six years. He said some countries were “ready” to take in Palestinians. Arab countries have, over the years, rejected forced displacement of Gazans and refused to take part in any such plan. Mr Ben-Gvir’s proposal, announced at a press conference on Thursday, makes him the latest senior Israeli official to promote the expulsion of Gazans. Defence Minister <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/03/uproar-in-israel-after-defence-minister-dismisses-pro-settlement-general-on-live-tv/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/03/uproar-in-israel-after-defence-minister-dismisses-pro-settlement-general-on-live-tv/">Israel Katz</a> said the previous day that plans to expel Gazans “by any means” remained under discussion in Israel but were frozen by US President Donald Trump. A poll of 1,005 Israelis conducted by the Geocartography Knowledge Group last year found 82 per cent of respondents supported the expulsion of Gaza’s residents. The forced transfer of civilians from occupied territory is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Chris van Hollen, a Democrat US Senator, criticised Mr Katz’s rhetoric, which he said was part of a plan to “ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians”. He also called for an end to US “complicity”. A day later, Democrat US Congressman Greg Landsman called Mr Ben-Gvir “the absolute worst”, after he had presented his plan. “Hopefully, Israeli voters pick a new government in a few weeks. The country desperately needs it,” Mr Landsman said. Israel is due to hold <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/28/trouble-on-israeli-right-as-ben-gvir-refuses-election-pact-with-smotrich/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/28/trouble-on-israeli-right-as-ben-gvir-refuses-election-pact-with-smotrich/">parliamentary elections</a> on October 27, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking another term. Israeli news outlet Ynet published an article saying the plan “already failed”. “It is necessary to say upfront that, beyond the fact that the initiative will cause a storm in the political system and will be accompanied by harsh international criticism, to date no country has been found that will agree to accept immigrants from Gaza,” diplomatic correspondent Itamar Eichner wrote. The piece also quotes an Israeli official: “Do you know of a country that is willing to absorb Gazans on a significant scale?” he said. “If so, let me know.” Israeli rights group Adalah told <i>The National</i>: <i>"</i>Ben-Gvir’s proposal is illegal, inhuman, and unacceptable by any measure. Forcible transfer is a war crime and, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, a crime against humanity." "This proposal must not be viewed as an isolated extremist move, but rather as a direct continuation of the ongoing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide Israel is committing in Gaza. Israel continues to use the control it exercises over Gaza to deepen Palestinian displacement and create conditions that make life unliveable," Adalah lawyer Muna Haddad continued. "The proposal, and its gradual normalisation within Israeli politics, are part of a pattern of continuous and escalating violations carried out with near-complete impunity." Mr <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/05/20/israeli-leader-netanyahu-criticises-own-minister-ben-gvir-for-taunting-gaza-flotilla-detainees/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/05/20/israeli-leader-netanyahu-criticises-own-minister-ben-gvir-for-taunting-gaza-flotilla-detainees/">Ben-Gvir</a> said critics calling the plan unworkable should look at his record in office of passing controversial legislation. “They said that about the gun reform, too, about the prison reform, about the emergency squads and the National Guard that I established, and also about the death penalty law for terrorists.” Pro-expulsion policies come despite Mr Trump continuing to back a Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction deal that was supposed to end bombing in the Gaza Strip and lead to the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces. Despite the plan, Israeli bombing continues. In a statement delivered in Gaza on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was not withdrawing from the strip. “We control 60 per cent of the strip and there is still more to come, because we are eliminating the terrorists who threaten us – we do this day in and day out.”