US rejects Israeli calls to remove Palestinians from Gaza

September 4, 2026 at 08:24 PM2 min

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The US State Department said on Friday it does not support any plan for the forced displacement, expulsion, or mandatory transfer of Gaza's population. The statement came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz called for de-populating Gaza as the only solution to the crisis. Washington reiterated its commitment to President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, which states no one will be forced to leave Gaza.

Key Facts

The US State Department said it 'does not support any plan or proposal for the forced displacement, expulsion, or mandatory transfer of the population of Gaza.'
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that 'there is no real solution for Gaza without this migration.'
Katz said the Israeli government is ready to get Palestinians out of Gaza 'by sea, by air and by any means to do it.'
The White House referred Al Jazeera to an August social media post by Trump celebrating an agreement to disarm Hamas.

US Rejection

The US State Department told Al Jazeera on Friday that Washington 'does not support any plan' for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. A State Department spokesperson reiterated Washington's commitment to President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan that established the ceasefire last year. The spokesperson quoted Point 12 of the plan: 'No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return.' The statement marked a rare public display of disagreement between the United States and Israel.

Israeli Position

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Trump had only 'frozen' – not cancelled – his support for removing Palestinians from the territory. Katz said the Israeli government is ready to get Palestinians out of Gaza 'by sea, by air and by any means to do it' and the idea is still 'being discussed all the time'. Israeli officials have been using 'migration' as a euphemism for de-populating Gaza. Rights advocates say the proposal would amount to ethnic cleansing.

Regional Reaction

Arab states, including some close allies of the US, have forcefully rejected any effort to remove Palestinians from their land. The White House referred Al Jazeera to a social media post by Trump in August celebrating an agreement to disarm Hamas. The deal would include gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the almost daily deadly attacks on the territory. Israel rejected the proposal, saying it would not make any concessions until Gaza is fully demilitarised.