Tel Aviv, Washington discuss establishing fund to finance expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza

By Abderaouf Arnaout and Ikram Kouachi

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli public broadcaster revealed on Friday that the US and Israel are engaged in discussions to establish a fund to finance the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

The broadcaster claimed that the project would require a budget estimated in the billions of dollars and that "contacts are also being made with Arab countries to reach an agreement on this matter." However, it did not specify any countries that have agreed to accept Palestinians or mention any nations that might fund the project.

These claims come just days after an Arab summit in Cairo, where Arab nations unanimously rejected any attempts to rebuild Gaza through the expulsion of its residents, under any name or circumstance.

The Arab plan, which was rejected by the US, proposed the formation of a "Gaza Management Committee" to oversee the administration of the region during a six-month transitional period, with non-factional “technocrat” figures working under the Palestinian government.

Meanwhile, the US administration continues to support President Donald Trump's vision for the reconstruction of Gaza, which aims to rebuild Gaza devoid of Hamas.

- US-Israeli plan

The public broadcaster pointed out that the US-Israeli efforts to implement the expulsion plan are still ongoing.

It explained that the funding that Tel Aviv and Washington are seeking for their plan includes "reconstruction of Gaza, the establishment of new communities, providing job opportunities, and creating service institutions in the host countries.”

It claimed that, according to US estimates, providing these communities and infrastructure "would encourage a significant number of Gaza’s residents to leave the region."

The report also mentioned that Tel Aviv and Washington are in talks with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to support their efforts in securing funding for this project.

Blair heads the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which provides consulting services to countries and generates tens of millions of dollars in profits.

- Shifting responsibility to Washington

The broadcaster further stated that, a month after Trump revealed his plan for Gaza, Israel has started to implement its part of the strategy.

It reported that Israel has established a "Gaza Migration Directorate," which operates under the Ministry of Defense and is tasked with "facilitating the departure of Gaza's residents."

The broadcaster claimed that Israel's role in the expulsion is "logistical and executive," while the responsibility for the relocation project itself and the international stance on it "rests with the US."

“The US administration has created a special team to follow up on the project and coordinate with the Gaza Migration Directorate, to facilitate the departure of Gaza’s residents who wish to emigrate, either temporarily or permanently, to third countries, without imposing forced expulsion on them,” it added.

Since Jan. 25, Trump has been promoting the idea of relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, both of which have rejected the plan, along with other Arab nations and international organizations.

More than 48,400 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 111,800 others injured in a brutal Israeli war since October 2023. The onslaught, which left the enclave in ruins, was paused under the ceasefire agreement that took hold on Jan. 19.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.