The Political-Security Cabinet is expected to approve today (Sunday) the expansion of the option for the voluntary exit of Palestinians from Gaza to third countries through a management unit established by Defense Minister Israel Katz. The unit will include representatives from additional government offices and security agencies including the IDF, Shin Bet, COGAT, and the Israel Police, and will coordinate its actions with international organizations and other entities.
The unit will work to enable controlled passage of Palestinians from Israel to facilitate their exit to third countries, ensuring security and escort for Palestinians during their movement, establishing a thoroughfare, and screening for pedestrians at designated crossings in the Gaza Strip, as well as providing infrastructure to allow land, sea, and air access to destination countries.
Preparing the Ground
In recent weeks, at the direction of Defense Minister Israel Katz, a mechanism has been established aimed at allowing 2,500 Gazans to leave the Strip each day. Concurrently, security sources reported to Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, that one country has already expressed interest in receiving construction workers from Gaza, but due to international pressure on the matter, it was decided to pause the initiative for now.
Possible Migration Routes
The potential migration routes to destination countries include sea passage from Ashdod Port, aerial transit from Ramon Airport, and land passage through the Rafah Crossing. Some of these routes are already being used to transfer injured individuals from the Strip to other countries. In Israel, there is an aspiration to allow the maximum number of Gaza residents to leave the Strip. According to this policy, family members of sick and injured individuals are also given the opportunity to leave with them to other countries. In most cases, Gazans who have left the Strip have been received in Arab countries, but some have also migrated to Romania and Italy with the aim of settling there permanently.
Allowing as Many Gazans to Leave as Possible
“Our interest is to allow as many people as possible to leave. This is the rationale of the Trump plan that Israel has expressed support for. We are trying to implement it,” explained a security source.
