Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, has said the country has no plan to forcibly expel or deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, amid renewed controversy over proposals by some Israeli cabinet members for residents of the war-ravaged territory to relocate elsewhere.
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Saar made the clarification on Wednesday during a visit to Slovenia, where he attended the opening of an Israeli embassy in Ljubljana.
“We are not planning to expel or to deport anyone from Gaza Strip,” Saar said.
He added that Israel would, however, not prevent Palestinians who voluntarily choose to leave Gaza from doing so where another country is willing to receive them.
“If someone wants to leave Gaza from his own will, and there is a country which is ready to accept him, as it happens from any conflict area in the world, we will not oppose that,” the Foreign Minister said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of statements by several members of the Israeli cabinet who have spoken about the possible relocation of Gaza’s population.
Those officials have generally characterised such proposals as voluntary, arguing that some Palestinians want to leave the territory but are prevented from doing so by Hamas.
The issue has remained highly contentious because Gaza is home to about two million Palestinians and has suffered extensive destruction during the conflict.
Saar’s comments appeared aimed at drawing a distinction between forced removal and what the Israeli government describes as voluntary departure by residents who wish to relocate and are accepted by other countries.
The Foreign Minister spoke during a press conference in Ljubljana ahead of the formal opening of Israel’s embassy in Slovenia.
The diplomatic engagement comes as Slovenia seeks to reset relations with Israel under Prime Minister Janez Jansa, marking a change from the approach of the previous centre-left government, which had been among the European Union governments most critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Saar thanked Slovenia for what he described as its friendship and support for Israel.
“An embassy is more than a flag in the building. It is an investment in a relationship and a commitment to its future. And that is exactly what we are planning to do together,” he said.
He added: “Israel remembers its friends. As you have stood with us, we will stand with you.”
The opening of the Israeli embassy in Ljubljana therefore comes amid two parallel developments: Israel’s effort to deepen diplomatic ties with Slovenia and continuing international scrutiny over the future of Gaza’s population.
While some Israeli political figures have promoted the idea of Palestinians leaving Gaza, Saar insisted that the government was not pursuing forced deportation.
His position, however, leaves open the possibility of Palestinians leaving the territory voluntarily where receiving countries are prepared to accept them.
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