Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would allow Palestinians to leave Gaza ahead of a major military operation in the territory.
In an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS, Netanyahu insisted that Israel was not expelling Palestinians, but rather “allowing” them to leave Gaza.
The statement came in the wake of proposed evacuations from Gaza, including those by US President Donald Trump, which have sparked Palestinian concerns and international condemnation.
For Palestinians, any forced evacuations would bring back memories of the 1948 “Nakba” – the catastrophe that saw the mass displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel.
Occurring during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Nakba forced more than 700,000 Palestinians to flee their homes due to war and Zionist expulsions.
Palestinians also see the Nakba as a symbol of the loss of their homeland, their right to return and the suffering that continues to this day.
Earlier this year, Trump sparked controversy after he suggested the US take over Gaza and relocate its 2.4 million residents to Egypt and Jordan.
Netanyahu also said his administration was looking for a third country to resettle Gazans following Trump's suggestion to turn the territory into a tourist destination.
