Bezalel Smotrich has said he is working on an ‘operational plan’ to resettle the population of Gaza outside the Strip following controversial comments by President Trump.
The far-right Finance Minister confirmed he was looking to turn the concept outlined by the new president into concrete policy.
Trump sparked backlash with his comments following a call with Jordan’s King Abdullah, in which he suggested that international mediators could “clean out” Gaza to allow for reconstruction amid the ongoing ceasefire.
He indicated that large portions of the Strip’s population could be relocated, either temporarily or permanently, to nations like Jordan and Egypt.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said: “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.
"It’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.
“So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”
The idea sparked outrage from pro-Palestinian groups, with critics claiming such a move would amount to ethnic cleansing.
Even long-time Trump allies failed to voice support for the plan, with Sen Lindsey Graham saying it was not “overly practical”.
However, Smotrich confirmed that he was looking into putting Trump’s concept into practice.
He told the weekly meeting of his Religious Zionism Party in the Knesset that he was developing an “operational plan” to implement the policy.
One of the most divisive members of the governing coalition, Smotrich has long advocated for what he terms the “voluntary emigration” of Gazans out of the territory.
Indeed, he even threatened to pull out of government, leaving the Netanyahu administration in a precarious position, if policies encouraging movement out of the Strip were not implemented after the first phase of the current ceasefire deal.
Official estimates suggest that as much as 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million-strong population was displaced by the conflict that has raged since the Hamas attacks on 7 October, 2023.
His comments followed the resignation of close ally Itamar Ben-Gvir over the ceasefire deal struck with Hamas, which he termed a 'surrender' (Image: Getty)
Thousands of Gazans are now being allowed to return to the northern part of the Strip after last-minute negotiations over the ceasefire.
Israel had claimed that Hamas breached the agreement by failing to release Arbel Yehoud, a civilian hostage, before the three soldiers who were returned to Israel on Saturday and by refusing to provide a list of remaining captives’ medical status.
But Yehoud has now been announced to be part of an emergency release on Thursday while the list has been received by Jerusalem, with the IDF opening the Netzarim Corridor through Gaza in return.
It comes after Itamar Ben-Gvir, a close ally of Smotrich, withdrew the support of his Otzma Yehudit Party and urged the Finance Minister to do the same over what he termed the “surrender deal” struck with Hamas.
At his own party’s Knesset meeting, Ben-Gvir all but ruled out rejoining the coalition unless the war in Gaza is restarted.
He said: “The chance that we will return is not high.
"If our dear Prime Minister Netanyahu comes to his senses and understands that we need to change direction once again from what he has been doing all year, to victory, to complete victory, to the collapse of Hamas, we will be there.”
