Israel plans to establish ‘migration administration’ to advance relocation of Palestinian residents

"Preparations are underway to establish a migration authority within the Defence Ministry": Bezalel Smotrich

Jerusalem: Israel is working to establish a “migration administration” to advance the relocation of Palestinian residents from the Gaza Strip, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.

Smotrich, a far-right leader and a key partner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, made the remarks on Sunday during a conference at the parliament, organised by the “Land of Israel Caucus,” a pro-settler lobby group.

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At the conference, Smotrich discussed US President Donald Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” plan, which includes a US takeover of Gaza, the relocation of its residents, and its transformation into a Middle Eastern “Riviera.” Although this controversial plan, proposed in early February, is met with wide criticism, Netanyahu and other Israeli ministers have expressed support for it, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Preparations are underway to establish a migration authority within the Defence Ministry,” Smotrich said. “Just to give a sense of scale — if we were to remove 10,000 people per day … it would take (about) six months” to relocate Gaza’s entire population, which is about 2 million, he added. Smotrich noted there is “ongoing coordination with the US administration to identify the countries” to which Gazans will migrate.

Trump’s plan has been widely rejected by regional countries and beyond. To counter the idea, Arab leaders approved on Tuesday an Egyptian-drafted Gaza reconstruction plan valued at $53 billion, which aims to rebuild Gaza without displacing its people.

Earlier in February 2024, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he believes the US “will have Gaza,” citing “US authority” to claim the enclave.

“We’re going to have it, we’re going to keep it, and we’re going to make sure that there’s going to be peace and there’s not going to be any problem, and nobody’s going to question it, and we’re going to run it very properly,” Trump said during a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II. The US President said he would like to see Gaza developed into lucrative property for resorts and office buildings.