Israel to form government body for Gaza departures

Israel’s Defense Ministry says it will form a government body to take forward, what it refers to as the “voluntary departure of Gaza residents,” Asharq Al-Awsat reported on February 18th.

The move is the most recent indication that Israel is welcoming a plan suggested by US President Donald Trump to take Palestinians out of Gaza. The proposal has prompted an outcry in Palestine and the Middle East. In Israel, it has enabled a far-right idea to seem acceptable.

Trump said that his country would oversee the rebuilding and cleanup of Gaza for years, but that Palestinians will not be permitted to come back.

Asharq Al-Awsat