US ambassador to Israel says there is no plan to force Palestinians out of Gaza

TURMUS AYYA, West Bank, Sept 4 (Reuters) – U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated on Thursday that there is no government policy to compel Palestinians to vacate Gaza following unpublished discussions by two Israeli ministers this week regarding large‑scale displacement from the coastal territory.

“Categorically, there is no intention by Israel to displace residents from Gaza against their will,” Huckabee told journalists in Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian village in the Israeli‑occupied West Bank.

“If individuals wish to relocate, they should have the fundamental right to do so. Confining them against their desires would be a profound disgrace,” he continued.

“No one suggests forced displacement; neither Israelis nor Americans support such actions,” Huckabee added.

Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously emphasized that a viable future for Gaza depends on this demographic shift. Likewise, far‑right security minister Itamar ben‑Gvir outlined a long‑term strategy targeting the evacuation of Gaza’s population, characterizing it as “voluntary emigration.”

Israel holds a general election scheduled for October 27.

(Reporting by Ali Sawat­ta and Alexander Cornwell; editing by Tomasz Janowski)

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