The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, visited Washington this week as Israel seeks the Trump administration’s help in moving Palestinians out of Gaza, Axios reported on Friday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Barnea told US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, in a meeting earlier this week that Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya have expressed openness to receiving large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza, according to the two sources.
The move is viewed as highly controversial; some Israeli and American legal experts have labeled it a war crime. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet have said that the “relocation” would be “voluntary” and nobody would be forced to leave.
Barnea pushed the US to offer incentives to those countries and support Israel in convincing them. It is unclear whether the US will provide its support, according to Axios.
Trump’s plan for Gaza
US President Donald Trump suggested in February that the US take over Gaza and temporarily move its two million inhabitants while the land is rebuilt. Trump received pushback from both Arab and Western countries, while Netanyahu and his government supported the idea.
The Trump administration reportedly told Israeli officials that if Netanyahu wanted to pursue this idea, Israel would need to find countries willing to take in Palestinians, a task Netanyahu then gave the Mossad, according to Axios.
