Netanyahu Suggests Allowing Palestinians to Leave Gaza as Truce Talks Resume

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday revived proposals to “allow” Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip, amid preparations for a broader military offensive in the territory.

Past suggestions to resettle Gazans outside the war-torn enclave, including from former US President Donald Trump, have drawn strong concern from Palestinians and condemnation from the international community.

In a rare interview with Israeli media, broadcast shortly after Egypt reported that mediators were renewing efforts to secure a 60-day truce, Netanyahu defended his war policies.

He told Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS:

“We are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave. Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, combat zones, and generally to leave the territory, if they want.”

He cited refugee outflows during previous conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan, adding:

“We will allow this, first of all within Gaza during the fighting, and we will certainly allow them to leave Gaza as well.”

Israel has for years tightly controlled Gaza’s borders, limiting the movement of its residents.

For Palestinians, any attempt to remove them evokes the Nakba, or catastrophe — the mass displacement that accompanied Israel’s creation in 1948.

Netanyahu has publicly endorsed Trump’s suggestion earlier this year to expel Gaza’s more than two million people to Egypt or Jordan, while far-right Israeli ministers have called for their “voluntary” departure.

Cairo-Led Mediation

Netanyahu’s statements come as Israel plans to expand its offensive into Gaza City, while diplomacy aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release has stalled since July.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is “working very hard now in full cooperation with the Qataris and Americans” to achieve:

• A 60-day ceasefire
• The release of hostages and Palestinian detainees
• The unrestricted flow of humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza

Hamas confirmed that a delegation of its leadership had arrived in Cairo for “preliminary talks” with Egyptian officials.

A Palestinian source told AFP that mediators were working “to formulate a new comprehensive ceasefire agreement proposal” that would release all remaining hostages in Gaza in one batch”.

Netanyahu, however, opposed a staggered release, stating he would “want to return all of them as part of an end to the war — but under our conditions.”

Mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have so far failed to produce a breakthrough since a brief truce earlier this year.

Intensified Air Strikes

Amid the diplomatic manoeuvring, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes on Gaza City have intensified in recent days following a security cabinet decision to expand military operations.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said:

“Israel is intensifying its bombardment using bombs, drones, and also highly explosive munitions that cause massive destruction.”

At least 33 people were killed on Tuesday as air raids continued across Gaza, including in the city itself.

Residents described the devastation:

“The bombardment has been extremely intense for the past two days. With every strike, the ground shakes,” said Majed al-Hosary, a resident of Gaza City’s Zeitun neighbourhood.

An air strike on Sunday killed four Al Jazeera employees and two freelance reporters outside a hospital, with Israel accusing one of the journalists of being a Hamas militant.

Humanitarian Concerns

Israel has faced mounting international criticism for the war, which began with a Hamas attack in October 2023.

UN-backed experts have warned of a widespread famine in Gaza, where Israel has severely restricted humanitarian aid.

Netanyahu faces domestic pressure to secure the release of the remaining hostages — 49 people, including 27 reportedly deceased — while advancing military operations.

The toll of the conflict remains stark:

• Hamas’s 2023 attack killed 1,219 people (AFP tally based on official figures)
• Israel’s offensive has killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose data the UN considers reliable

Data Table