The Israeli government is negotiating with several countries, including the Republic of Congo, to transfer Palestinians from Gaza after the end of the war, the Times of Israel newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Israeli official.
While the conflict with the Islamist group Hamas continues – which has lasted for almost three months -, the Executive of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is launching plans for what it calls a “voluntary” migration of some of the 2.3 million inhabitants who want to leave the Gaza Strip, according to the newspaper.
Israeli authorities are said to be in contact with several countries that could accept thousands of residents of the Gaza Strip.
“The Republic of Congo will be willing to receive migrants and we are in negotiations with other countries,” a source in the Israeli Security Office told the Times of Israel.
The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Gaza has left its population in an unsustainable situation, with practically no food, drinking water, medical supplies or fuel due to the Israeli siege that limits the entry of humanitarian aid.
Most hospitals are operating at capacity or out of service due to a lack of electricity, gasoline, medical supplies, and many medications to treat the injured and sick.
Since the start of the war on October 7, when Hamas carried out a surprise attack in Israel that killed about 1,200 people, the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian enclave has left at least 22,300 dead and more than 57,200 wounded.
Thousands of missing Palestinians are also estimated to have died and their bodies are under the rubble of destroyed buildings, but they have not yet been rescued.
The Israeli army’s attacks on Gaza have left a landscape of unprecedented devastation within the enclave, while Israeli far-right groups and government ministers have openly called, in recent days, for the departure of Gazans to make way for the Israeli settlements.
Statements were made in this regard by the Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, and the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir.
So far, a small part of the Gaza population has managed to leave the Strip through Egypt, but this country – the only one that has a border with the Gaza Strip besides Israel – refuses to give access to a large number of Palestinians because I fear that later Israel will not allow them to return.
Source: TSF
