Netanyahu on Gaza:The Largest Open-Air Prison in the World
"We will get the job done" to implement Trump's plan for Gaza, Netanyahu stated.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the widely criticized plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip, stating that Israel is ready to "get the job done," reported AFP.
In an interview aired on Fox News last night—shortly before the end of his visit to Washington—Netanyahu defended the proposal, which has been sharply criticized worldwide.
"I believe President Trump's proposal is the first new idea in years and has the potential to change everything in Gaza," Netanyahu said, adding that he sees it as a "correct approach" for the future of the Palestinian territory.
"Everything Trump is saying is: 'I want to open the door and give them the opportunity to relocate temporarily while we physically rebuild the area,'" explained the Israeli Prime Minister.
BREAKING:
Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for Donald Trump's contentious plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip,
stating that Israel is willing to "do the job". pic.twitter.com/qynBmwUxmd — Daily Digest (@dailydigestt) February 9, 2025
"Trump never said he wanted U.S. troops to do this job. And guess what? We will get the job done," stated the Israeli Prime Minister, adding, "Hamas attacked us, and we will take care of it."
Israel captured the Gaza Strip in 1967 and then unilaterally withdrew in 2005. Since 2007, after the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas took control of the enclave, Israel has imposed a strict blockade on the Palestinian territory. Gaza has been devastated by the war triggered by Hamas's bloody attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
According to Netanyahu, the U.S. president's plan represents a break from "more of the same." "We leave, Gaza is once again occupied by these terrorists who use it as a base to attack Israel [...] This will lead to nothing," said the Israeli Prime Minister.
Netanyahu praised Trump's Gaza relocation plan as a “fresh idea,” assured no forced eviction, and stated Gazans can eventually return home.https://t.co/IHK5rOvYZv pic.twitter.com/DMt5uexnMv — Hindustan Times (@htTweets) February 9, 2025
"I think we should implement it," he added, warning that "the real problem" is finding a "destination" that would accept the displaced residents of Gaza. At the same time, Netanyahu stated that the Palestinians would have to "renounce terrorism" in order to be allowed to return to Gaza.
The Palestinians reject any idea of forced displacement, which they associate with the mass displacement that followed the creation of Israel in 1948.
"Everyone describes Gaza as the largest open-air prison in the world. And do you know why? Because they are not allowed to leave," Netanyahu said about the blockaded territory, placing the blame on "its neighbor, Egypt."
"Take the people out, let them leave. No forced displacement, no ethnic cleansing—take the people out of what all these countries and benefactors call an 'open-air prison.' Why are you keeping them in a prison?" the Israeli Prime Minister asked.
