Israeli foreign minister says government will not forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza

Saar rules out forced removal

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on September 9 that Israel’s government does not plan to expel or deport Palestinians from Gaza. He made the statement during a visit to Ljubljana, where he was attending the opening of Israel’s resident embassy in Slovenia. Saar distinguished forced removal from individual emigration, saying Israel would not prevent a person from leaving voluntarily if another country agreed to receive them. The statement is significant because it came from Israel’s chief diplomat while senior colleagues were publicly advancing substantially different proposals.

Cabinet messages remain in conflict

Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had recently advocated large-scale Palestinian departure from Gaza. Katz described migration as necessary to Gaza’s future, while Ben-Gvir presented a multi-year programme for removing the territory’s population under the label of voluntary emigration. Al Jazeera reported those proposals on September 8 and noted that Washington had publicly rejected forced displacement. Saar’s intervention therefore narrows the declared position of the government but does not erase the disagreement among ministers or establish a single binding policy.

The distinction between voluntary and coerced movement will remain central. Gaza’s population has endured extensive destruction, restrictions on movement and repeated displacement. Under those conditions, international officials have warned that ostensibly voluntary departure can become coercive if people lack a safe and viable choice to remain. A September 7 United Nations statement warned that rubble removal and reconstruction activity must not entrench occupation, destroy evidence of possible crimes or obstruct the recovery of human remains.

Election pressure raises the stakes

Israel is scheduled to hold a general election on October 27. Ben-Gvir’s proposal forms part of his party’s electoral platform, while Saar’s statement appears directed toward foreign governments concerned about population transfer. The dispute consequently operates on two levels: it is an argument inside Israel’s governing camp and a test of the assurances Israel gives diplomatic partners. Slovenia was a particularly visible venue because Saar was opening an embassy amid protests over Israeli policy.

What matters next is whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the cabinet formally adopts one position, and whether operational decisions in Gaza align with Saar’s assurance. Election manifestos, government planning documents, border procedures and reconstruction rules will provide stronger evidence than competing ministerial statements. Until such decisions emerge, Saar’s declaration should be treated as an official assurance from the foreign minister, not definitive proof that every branch of government has abandoned displacement proposals.