Netanyahu Suggests ‘New US-Built Port Could Help Deport Palestinians’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly suggested that the new US-built makeshift port off Gaza, which was installed to help ship aid to the besieged enclave, could be used to deport Palestinians.
Washington earlier this month announced plans for the military to construct a “temporary” floating dock on Gaza’s coast to allow aid to enter more easily. “A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day,” US President Joe Biden said.
However, speaking at a private meeting of the Knessett’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Netanyahu suggested the port could also facilitate the removal of Palestinians from Gaza.
Netanyahu said there was “no obstacle” to the Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip apart from the unwillingness of other countries to accept them, according to a Kann News journalist. Below is Netanyahu’s statement (machine translated) according to Kann correspondent Yaara Shapira:
“We are looking into how to distribute the aid in Gaza through non-local entities because Hamas failed the attempts to distribute it through local entities. Private companies are also being investigated. As far as the State of Israel is concerned, there is no obstacle for the Gazans to leave, maybe even the port they are building could be used for this, but there are no countries in the world that are ready to receive them.”
The suggestion was met with anger by Palestinians, who have long suggested the ultimate goal of Israel’s operations in Gaza was their removal from the region.
