IDF Ordered to Prepare Plan to Allow Gazans to Leave Voluntarily

Thursday, 6 February 2025 | After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed enthusiastic support for US President Donald Trump's Gaza initiative, Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday morning instructed the IDF "to prepare a plan to allow voluntary departure for Gaza residents, including special arrangements for exit by sea and air," although Israel has not yet officially adopted any such plan.

"I welcome US President Trump's bold plan, which could allow a large population in Gaza to leave for various places in the world," said Katz. “Hamas used Gaza residents as human shields and built terror infrastructure in the heart of the population, and is now holding them hostage, extorting money from them by use of humanitarian aid and preventing them from leaving Gaza."

"I have instructed the IDF to prepare a plan that will allow any resident of Gaza who is interested to leave to any place in the world that agrees to accept them."

The Defense Ministry's Counter-Terrorism Unit is supposed to be responsible for this, but Katz turned his attention to the IDF and said that the plan he wanted to prepare should include "exit options at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air."

Katz even detailed a list of countries that he claims are obligated to allow Gazans to immigrate to them: "Countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway and others, which have made false accusations and plots against Israel due to its activities in Gaza, are obligated by law to allow every Gazan resident to enter their territory—and their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse to do so. There are countries like Canada, which has a regulated immigration program, that have expressed a desire in the past to absorb residents from Gaza. Gazans should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration as is customary everywhere in the world."

According to Katz, "US President Trump's bold plan can create extensive possibilities for the departure of a population from Gaza who is interested in doing so, and also help them be optimally absorbed in the target countries, as well as enable the advancement of reconstruction plans in a demilitarized and threat-free Gaza in the post-Hamas era, which will last for many years."

During the press conference that Trump held with Netanyahu a little over a day ago, the US president said: "We'll take over Gaza, flatten it. We'll clear out bombs and destroyed houses.” During the statement, Trump also reiterated his intention to complete the entire hostage deal, and threatened Hamas: "If all the hostages are not released, we will be more violent."

Trump added that "the Gaza Strip has been a source of destruction and so bad for the people, the lives of the residents there are miserable. They need to go to other places. There are many of them who want to go from there. 1.8 million Gazans need to leave. The rich countries in the region need to finance it. They can go to one area, or seven or 12. We will ensure that something amazing is done. We will have peace and they will not shoot, kill and destroy."

Flowers for Shabbat: Lt. Ivri Dickstein was killed in Lebanon on a Thursday. Before he died, he had ordered flowers for his wife. What a thoughtful husband to make sure his wife has flowers for Shabbat (Sabbath) even though he was fighting in a war. He wrote a sweet note to accompany the flowers. Of course, he didn’t know that was the last gift he would ever give his wife.

Hours after Lt. Dickstein’s funeral, his wife received the delivery of flowers and a letter. All of Israel shed tears as they read the last words of a hero to his wife. “To my dear wife, I am writing to you again from the far north. I hope it is the last time. I am here, happy and proud to do something important for our nation. I ask you to continue to smile and be with your head up. I am doing okay, do not worry. I love you very much.”