The US has condemned controversial comments by two Israeli ministers, saying Palestinians should leave Gaza and Jews should return to the area.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on January 2 that Washington rejects recent statements by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir about the resettlement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip.
"The comments were inflammatory and irresponsible," Mr. Miller said. He reiterated the "clear, consistent and unequivocal" US position that "Gaza is Palestinian land and will always be, where Hamas no longer controls their future and there are no armed groups that can threaten Israel."
Israel withdrew its last troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, ending a Jewish presence in the strip since 1967, but maintained near-complete control over the border area.
Palestinians carry what was left intact after Israeli bombardments in Gaza City, Gaza on November 25. Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not made any official statement about its intention to expel Gaza residents or return Jews to the strip since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7.
However, Mr. Ben Gvir on January 1 called for a solution that encourages Gaza residents to emigrate. He argued that the departure of Palestinians and the re-establishment of Israeli settlements is "the right, just, moral and humane solution."
"This is an opportunity to develop a project that encourages Gaza residents to emigrate to countries around the world ," he said at a meeting of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party.
His comments came a day after Finance Minister Smotrich also called for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza, saying Israel should encourage the more than 2 million Palestinians to leave the area.
Map of residential areas in Gaza. Graphics: Al Jazeera
Thanh Tam (According to AFP )
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