Netanyahu Admits to Deliberate Destruction of Homes in Gaza

TEHRAN (Defapress) - “We are destroying more homes in Gaza every day, so the Palestinians will have nowhere to return,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a closed-door meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He added: “The only result will be the forced migration of Gazans from the Gaza Strip, but the biggest challenge is finding countries that will agree to accept them.”

The Ma’ariv newspaper reported that Netanyahu said in the meeting that he had spoken to US President Donald Trump about his recent plan to annex Gaza, but acknowledged that there were significant obstacles to implementing the plan.

Trump had previously suggested that Egypt and Jordan accept Palestinian refugees, but both countries immediately rejected the idea, insisting on the Palestinians’ right to remain in their homeland.

On the other hand, Israel has refused to provide any public assurances to Palestinians who leave Gaza about their future return, making other countries reluctant to accept them for fear of being drawn into a complex political conflict.

As part of a pilot program, dozens of Gazans who were allowed to travel outside the Strip for work were forced to sign documents stating that there was no timetable for their return due to security conditions. Children who had been transferred abroad for medical treatment were also prevented from returning to their families in Gaza after their treatment.

Netanyahu stressed at the meeting that the United States, despite the failure of efforts to persuade other countries to accept refugees, remained interested in the plan to take control of Gaza. However, sources revealed that the Trump administration has made no real effort to implement the plan since it was announced in February, after a wave of widespread opposition from Arab allies.

Netanyahu addressed the issue of settlements in Gaza during the meeting, saying that the creation of new Israeli settlements in Gaza is not currently under consideration. Knesset member Limor Son Har-Melech offered another solution in response to Netanyahu, saying: “Why don’t we move American Jews to Gaza? That way we solve two problems at once.”

The Israeli prime minister also discussed the regime’s new plan to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza through a centralized mechanism aimed at preventing it from reaching Hamas. According to the plan, distribution centers will be established in southern Gaza and beneficiaries will be prohibited from returning to areas outside the designated humanitarian zone.

The plan involves settling two million Palestinians in Rafah and the surrounding areas, which make up only 25 percent of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army will be responsible for vetting those allowed to enter the area.