Full Breakdown
Israel’s Far-Right Push for Mass Gaza Emigration
9/7/2026, 1:05:31 PM
The “Disengagement 710” Proposal
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir unveiled “Disengagement 710,” a plan to move most of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents out of the enclave over seven years. The scheme targets the voluntary departure of roughly 250,000 people in the first year, 1.11 million within three years and about 1.86 million by the end of the seventh year. Implementation would require a new ministry, bilateral agreements with receiving states, travel documents, housing, vocational training and up to 24 months of financial support.
Background to the Plan
The proposal follows the war that began after Hamas’s Oct 7 2023 attack and subsequent Israeli military operations that devastated Gaza’s housing and infrastructure. Far-right politicians have long advocated population-transfer ideas; the current plan revives concepts first floated by the United States, which were later rejected by Palestinian leaders and Arab governments.
Scale and Funding
The financial outline calls for an initial Israeli outlay of 10 billion shekels (? $3.3 billion) to launch the emigration apparatus, with a framework that could rise to 50 billion shekels (? $16.6 billion) if sufficient international participation materialises. Funding would be tied to the number of emigrants successfully absorbed by partner countries.
Official Government Positions
Ben-Gvir frames the scheme as a “historic solution,” arguing it offers Palestinians a choice to leave a war-torn territory and stresses that departures would occur only with the consent of destination countries and after security screening. Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed the view, stating Israel is prepared to facilitate departures by sea, air and land once the United States approves the plan and destination states are secured. He noted internal surveys suggest a majority of Gaza residents would consider emigration, and warned that Egypt opposes any route through its territory.
A joint statement from the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia categorically rejected any attempt to displace Palestinians, calling such moves a “serious violation of international law.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denied any formal agreement with Somaliland regarding Palestinian resettlement.
International and Palestinian Opposition
Palestinian National Council head Rawhi Fattouh condemned the remarks of Ben-Gvir and Katz as a “grave violation of international law,” accusing Israel of pursuing “systematic ethnic cleansing.” Human-rights organisations and legal experts warned that encouraging mass departure under current conditions could amount to forcible transfer, prohibited by international humanitarian law and potentially constituting a war crime.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
The plan lists Turkey, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and unspecified Arab states as potential destinations, yet no government has publicly confirmed willingness to receive Palestinians on the proposed scale. Katz’s claim about a majority wanting to emigrate is based on undisclosed surveys with no independent verification. While U.S. approval is described as a prerequisite, no official U.S. position has been reported.
What’s Next
The plan is a central demand of Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party ahead of Israel’s Oct 27 parliamentary election; the party has pledged to establish a dedicated emigration ministry if it joins the next government. A supporters’ conference is scheduled for Sept 1 2026, where Ben-Gvir will promote the proposal to voters. Implementation also hinges on securing U.S. approval and concrete agreements with destination countries—both of which remain unresolved.
