Israel is holding secret discussions with multiple countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), urging them to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
According to the Times of Israel news website, Israeli officials held talks with officials in the DRC and other African nations to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
The DRC is one of the countries under consideration as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration secretly investigates sending thousands of migrants from Gaza, a source in the security cabinet stated.
During a Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu announced that he is actively involved in arranging for the voluntary migration of Gazans to other countries.
“Our problem is finding countries that are willing to absorb Gazans, and we are working on it,” he said.
“60% of Gaza’s agricultural land will become security buffer zones,” Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel said.
The US objected to Israeli ministers’ “irresponsible” remarks on driving out Palestinians from Gaza.
“The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Both ministers, on various occasions, called for what they described as the “voluntary evacuation” of Palestinians from Gaza.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
Nearly 1,200 Israelis are thought to have died in the Hamas strike, while at least 22,313 Palestinians have subsequently died and 57,296 more have been injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
