Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel, a member of Israel's security cabinet, says the plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza is still alive and moving forward. In an interview with Channel 7, she said the program has not disappeared, but is advancing at its own pace after feasibility reviews, the creation of a dedicated directorate, and examination of international law.
Gamliel said she prepared a structured strategy for what she described as the humanitarian evacuation of Gaza's Arab population, based on comparisons with other conflict zones and on the assessment that other political and security options are unrealistic. She argued that if Israel wants to prevent Gaza from remaining a threat, residents must be given an alternative to staying in the Strip.
She pointed to several obstacles, especially the lack of a governing authority in Gaza with which to advance the idea. She said Israel does not intend to work with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, and also cited complications in dealing with the U.S.-backed peace directorate and what she described as hostility on the ground. Gamliel said Gaza's destroyed infrastructure means at least a decade of reconstruction, if reconstruction is even pursued, and that the cost would be enormous. "That is why this is the right solution for both us and them," she said. She added that in a survey of 5,000 Gaza residents, 4,000 expressed interest in leaving.
The minister said the biggest remaining challenge is absorbing Gazans in other countries, though she said some previously discussed options have faded while others still offer real potential. She argued that the chances of implementation rise as Israeli control expands, which she said is approaching 70% of the Strip. For now, she said Hamas's presence is a natural obstacle, but not one that will last forever.
Gamliel also said a voluntary-emigration directorate is already operating, staffed by officials working on implementation, and that Caroline Glick, the prime minister's adviser, has been appointed as Netanyahu's representative in the body. "She will lead this campaign on behalf of the prime minister," Gamliel said. She added that there is a broad national effort to allow anyone who wants to leave to do so, and said this would help Israel achieve the war's third goal, ensuring Gaza no longer threatens Israeli civilians.
