JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Sunday his intention to advance U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate the Palestinian population from Gaza, describing it as “the only feasible strategy for fostering a transformative future” in the area.
Netanyahu articulated this plan during a dialogue with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has commenced a tour of the Middle East. Rubio publicly affirmed the objectives Israel aims to achieve in Gaza, stating that the threat posed by Hamas “must be eliminated.” His remarks, however, cast further uncertainty over the fragile ceasefire, with discussions regarding the subsequent phase still pending.
During his trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Rubio is anticipated to encounter significant opposition from Arab leaders regarding Trump’s proposal, which entails plans for redeveloping Gaza under U.S. oversight. Although Netanyahu insists that any evacuation from Gaza would be “voluntary,” humanitarian organizations and critics argue that the situation’s extensive devastation effectively compels such actions.
Netanyahu stated that he and Trump share a “unified approach” for Gaza. He echoed Trump’s sentiments by warning that “the gates of hell would be open” if Hamas fails to release the remaining hostages taken during the assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated the ongoing conflict lasting 16 months.
The current phase of the ceasefire is set to expire in two weeks, with negotiations for the next stage expected to have started earlier. This phase is designed to secure the release of additional hostages held by Hamas in exchange for more Palestinian detainees, a sustainable cessation of hostilities, and the withdrawal of Israeli military forces.
Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, assured Fox News that “phase two is definitely going to commence,” noting productive conversations on Sunday with Netanyahu and officials from Egypt and Qatar, who are mediating the discussions. He indicated that the hostages expected to be freed include 19 Israeli soldiers and expressed confidence in their survival.
Netanyahu’s office announced preparations for a meeting of Israel’s security Cabinet on Monday to evaluate the next phase.
Trump later remarked that “decisions about the next steps are up to Israel, in consultation with me.” In another development, Israel’s Defense Ministry confirmed the arrival of a shipment of 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) MK-84 munitions from the United States, which had been paused by the Biden administration last year over concerns related to civilian casualties.
With approximately 500 days of war recorded, Netanyahu has indicated a willingness to resume military operations after the current ceasefire phase concludes. Such actions jeopardize the lives of any remaining hostages.
Rubio emphasized that sustainable peace is unachievable as long as Hamas “functions as a governing or oppressive force,” reiterating that it must be destroyed. Despite sustaining significant losses, Hamas has managed to reestablish its control over Gaza during the ceasefire period.
Netanyahu has extended an offer to Hamas to surrender and relocate its leaders abroad. However, Hamas has denied this proposition, insisting on maintaining Palestinian governance. Spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou conveyed the group’s acceptance of a unity government or a technocratic committee to oversee Gaza.
Netanyahu has tasked negotiators to depart for Cairo on Monday to further discuss the execution of the initial phase of the ceasefire amidst ongoing issues regarding the provision of shelter materials.
Additionally, the Israeli military reported conducting airstrikes against individuals approaching their forces in southern Gaza. The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry stated that three police officers were killed while facilitating the entry of aid trucks near Rafah, close to the Egyptian border.
Rubio, during a recent interview, indicated that Trump’s Gaza project partly aims to urge Arab nations to devise their own proposals for postwar governance that would be acceptable to Israel.
He also suggested that Arab nations might need to contribute military forces to confront Hamas. “If Arab countries have a superior plan, then that would be beneficial,” Rubio stated. However, he also reminded that “Hamas possesses arms,” underscoring that “it will not be American soldiers confronting them. If the regional nations cannot tackle that issue, Israel will have no choice but to do so.”
Rubio’s itinerary does not include meetings with Palestinians during his visit.
Arab nations appear to have limited options, confronting the dilemmas of either facilitating a mass exodus of Palestinians from Gaza or engaging in military actions against militant groups on Israel’s behalf—both scenarios would likely provoke strong domestic backlash and potentially destabilize an already critical landscape.
Egypt is preparing to host an Arab summit on February 27, collaborating with other nations on a counterproposal aimed at reconstructing Gaza without uprooting its residents. Human rights advocates assert that forcibly expelling Palestinians would likely contravene international jurisprudence.
Egypt has cautioned that a large influx of Palestinians could jeopardize its decades-long peace agreement with Israel, a key element of U.S. influence in the region. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have similarly opposed the idea of mass displacement.
The UAE was pivotal in launching the 2020 Abraham Accords which led to normalization of ties between Israel and four Arab nations—Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and Sudan. Trump has expressed ambitions to expand these accords to include Saudi Arabia, potentially offering enhanced U.S. defense collaboration, yet the kingdom emphasizes it will not establish relations with Israel without a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood.
Rubio’s schedule excludes visits to Egypt or Jordan, crucial U.S. allies at peace with Israel that have refused to accept Palestinian refugees. Trump has threatened to diminish U.S. aid should they fail to comply, a move that could be devastating for their economies. Rubio is also avoiding a visit to Qatar.
Arab and Muslim nations have contingent their support for post-conflict Gaza on a return to Palestinian governance and establishing a route towards statehood in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem—land seized by Israel during the 1967 war.
While Israel has dismissed the notion of a Palestinian state, it has also ruled out the participation of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in Gaza, which lost control when Hamas took over in 2007.
