Palestine weekly: Israeli ministers push for depopulation of Gaza

Israeli government officials have begun moving forcefully toward concrete proposals for Palestinian displacement from Gaza, marking an escalation from previous public statements. Defense Minister Israel Katz declared at a government conference that removing the Palestinian population represents the only viable solution, emphasizing Israel's readiness to execute such plans through multiple methods. He further suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump has merely postponed rather than abandoned support for this approach. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir subsequently presented a comprehensive seven-year framework termed "Disengagement 710," which outlines mechanisms for relocating approximately two million Gaza residents under the guise of voluntary emigration. Ben-Gvir has also indicated plans to establish a dedicated Migration Ministry if his political faction returns to power. The U.S. State Department issued a statement opposing forced displacement, though it refrained from directly naming or condemning the Israeli officials making these proposals.

Civilian casualties have continued mounting throughout Gaza as military operations persist. An Israeli special forces operation near Gaza City's American hospital resulted in multiple deaths including children and a woman, culminating in the capture of a Hamas internal security official. Separate incidents during the same week included drone strikes in Jabalia refugee camp and Khan Younis, shootings near Beit Lahia, and attacks near civilian infrastructure. By early the following week, an artillery strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Deir el-Balah killed additional civilians, including a three-year-old child. According to Palestinian health authorities, casualty figures have reached over 73,000 dead and 174,000 wounded since the conflict began in October 2023, with deaths continuing even after a formal ceasefire took effect in October 2025. Recovery efforts have begun in some areas, with families conducting funerals for approximately 100 individuals, including 60 children, whose remains were recovered from Gaza City rubble.

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza are deteriorating rapidly. The World Health Organization documented a near-tripling of water contamination levels since January, while the Palestinian Water Authority reported complete shutdown of all five wastewater treatment facilities, resulting in roughly 55,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage being discharged daily. Civil defense officials estimate that 8,000 to 14,000 additional bodies remain beneath Gaza's rubble, with recovery potentially achievable within three months if adequate heavy equipment becomes available, though without such resources the process could extend for years.

In the occupied West Bank, systematic demolitions have intensified across multiple communities. Israeli forces completely destroyed all 12 residences in Khirbet al-Tabban within Masafer Yatta, displacing 70 people including 30 children. Additional operations destroyed water infrastructure and agricultural facilities in Beit Ummar, causing approximately $60,000 in damages. In East Jerusalem's al-Bustan neighborhood, municipal demolition of a four-apartment building marked the 60th destruction there since October 2023. Large-scale clearing of vegetation from farmland continues in the Jenin area pursuant to military orders issued in August targeting four villages. Particularly intense violence erupted in al-Mughayyir village, where settlers and soldiers conducted an evening raid resulting in sniper fire that killed two Palestinian residents, ages 16 and 19, during confrontation over livestock.