Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir advanced proposals last week to remove Palestinians from Gaza. Katz called removal “the only solution” and said Israel was prepared to carry it out “by sea, by air and by every way possible”; Ben-Gvir presented a seven-year plan covering Gaza’s roughly two million residents.
The US State Department said it does not support forced displacement, expulsion or mandatory transfer of Gaza’s population, but did not directly condemn Katz or Ben-Gvir. The proposals emerged as killings, displacement and demolitions continued in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Deaths and recovery efforts continue in Gaza
An Israeli special forces raid near Gaza City’s American hospital killed at least four Palestinians, including two children and a woman, according to the account of the week’s events. Israel said the raid captured Moin al-Arabeed, whom it described as the head of Hamas’s internal security.
Other reported attacks killed Palestinians in Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Younis, Beit Lahia and Gaza City. A shell strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Deir el-Balah killed three-year-old Saadi Ghalia, while a drone strike near Gaza City’s Hamid intersection killed Youssef Akila and his young daughter, Wafaa. For additional context, see “Teenagers killed as West Bank village faces settler encirclement”.
Families in northern Gaza held funerals for about 100 people whose remains were recovered from rubble in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, including 60 children. Gaza civil defence chief Raed al-Dahshan said teams could recover an estimated 8,000 additional bodies within 90 days with suitable heavy equipment; he said the work could otherwise take years. Between 10,000 and 14,000 people remain missing under the rubble.
Key points
- Ben-Gvir branded his plan “Disengagement 710” and described the proposed departures as “voluntary emigration”.
- Ben-Gvir said he would establish a Migration Ministry to expel Palestinians if re-elected.
- The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported 73,658 deaths and 174,622 injuries in Gaza since October 2023, including 160 additional certified deaths added by Monday.
- The Palestinian Water Authority said Gaza’s five wastewater plants had shut down and about 55,000 cubic metres of untreated sewage was being discharged daily.
West Bank demolitions and settler violence
In Masafer Yatta’s Khirbet al-Tabban, demolitions destroyed all 12 remaining homes and left 70 people, including 30 children, homeless. Israeli forces also destroyed four water wells and several greenhouses in Beit Ummar, with losses estimated at $60,000, and demolished homes in Nahalin and East Jerusalem. A related part of this story is covered in “Worshippers describe fear after attacks on West Bank mosques”.
In al-Mughayyir, Israeli forces and settlers raided the village after allegations that residents had stolen livestock. Khalil Abu Alia, 16, and Mohammad Nassan, 19, were killed as residents tried to stop settlers taking sheep. The Israeli military said troops were securing the retrieval of livestock belonging to Israeli civilians and fired at people it called key instigators.
Wafa reported that settlers later killed Omar Tubasi, 20, and injured three people during a raid on Hajja. Other reported incidents included an injured child in Umm al-Khair, the continuing siege of three homes in Qusra, and damage to water infrastructure serving a Bedouin encampment near Tayasir. Israeli police also shot and killed Ibrahim al-Hendi, 33, near Damascus Gate, saying he had tried to stab an officer. The development of this issue can be followed in “Trump downplays seven-month Iran conflict despite 18 US deaths”.
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