A highly sensitive discussion took place this week during the visit of Mossad Director David Barnea to Washington, as Israel sought U.S. support to promote the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza. The Israeli intelligence chief discussed efforts to convince three countries — Libya, Indonesia, and Ethiopia — to receive large numbers of Palestinians, with a direct request for American assistance in facilitating the plan.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Barnea’s trip to the United States aimed to present Tel Aviv’s proposal to transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and to request U.S. help in encouraging countries to accept hundreds of thousands of them.
According to the report, the issue of displacing Palestinians from Gaza is “extremely sensitive” within the international community. While Netanyahu’s government claims that any such migration would be voluntary, legal experts in both the United States and Israel argue that mass displacement under the current conditions in Gaza could amount to a war crime.
During a meeting at the White House earlier this week, Barnea reportedly told President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, that Israel was in talks with Libya, Indonesia, and Ethiopia regarding the potential resettlement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza.
Barnea claimed that the three countries had shown willingness to consider absorbing large numbers of Palestinians, and asked the U.S. administration to help persuade them, including by offering incentives.
A source cited by Channel 12 stated that Witkoff did not make any commitments during the meeting, and it remains unclear whether the United States will take any concrete steps on the issue.
In February, President Trump proposed relocating two million Palestinians from Gaza to other countries as part of a plan to “rebuild” the territory. However, the initiative made no progress, and U.S. officials have since acknowledged that enthusiasm for the idea within the White House has waned due to strong opposition from Arab states.
Israeli officials say the U.S. administration has made it clear to Netanyahu that if he wishes to proceed with the idea, he must first identify countries willing to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has tasked Mossad with identifying such countries.
During a dinner with Netanyahu at the White House last week, Trump was asked about the matter but avoided a direct response, instead referring the issue back to the Israeli prime minister.
Netanyahu stated that Israel is working “closely” with the United States to find countries willing to receive Palestinians from Gaza, adding that “we are getting close to securing a few.”
He added, “I think President Trump had a great vision. It’s called freedom of choice. If people want to stay, they can stay. But if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. Gaza should not be a prison.”
Following the dinner, an Israeli official told reporters that Trump had expressed interest in continuing to promote the “relocation” plan for Gaza’s residents. The White House did not issue any official comment at the time.
Separately, Axios confirmed the story, reporting that during Barnea’s visit to the United States, a formal request was made for U.S. assistance in convincing the three countries to accept hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza.
The report noted that nearly every Palestinian in Gaza has been displaced during the current war — many of them multiple times — and that most buildings in the Strip have been either damaged or destroyed. According to Axios, Israel is working on a plan to relocate Gaza’s entire population — around two million people — to a so-called “humanitarian zone” near the Egyptian border.
The plan has raised serious concerns in Egypt and several Western countries, who fear Israel is preparing for the mass expulsion of Palestinians — a demand long promoted by far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition and many within his party.
While the Israeli government continues to insist that any displacement would be “voluntary,” critics argue that the term is meaningless under such extreme conditions.
Jews shud consider the Plllppines… shud they be free of being involved in attrocities