Washington admits pressing countries to receive Gaza evacuees ‘voluntarily’

Washington admitted pressing countries to receive Gaza evacuees ‘voluntarily’, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.

He confirmed that the United States has contacted several countries to encourage them to take in Palestinians who have, in his words, “voluntarily” left Gaza to escape Israel’s war.

This comes as Israel intensifies its military campaign across the Gaza Strip, ordering further evacuations and expanding operations aimed at destroying and occupying the territory in full, as part of its broader strategy to displace the population.

US President Donald Trump had earlier proposed relocating Gaza’s two million residents as part of a post-war reconstruction plan. Although he denied any forced expulsion, Trump presented vague ideas including US control over Gaza and turning it into the “Middle East Riviera”.

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Rubio was asked whether the US was involved in any forced deportations. He responded, “There’s no deportation,” and added, “What we have talked to some nations about is, if someone voluntarily and willingly says, I want to go somewhere else for some period of time because I’m sick, because my children need to go to school, or what have you, are there countries in the region willing to accept them for some period of time?”

Rubio continued, “Those will be voluntary decisions by individuals.”

However, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley questioned this notion, asking, if “there is no clean water, there is no food, and bombing is all around you, is that really a voluntary decision?”

Rubio did not name the countries involved in the discussions but ruled out Libya.

This follows a report by NBC News, which cited unnamed sources claiming the Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate about one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya.

Meanwhile, Israel continues its military operation under the name “Operation Gideon’s Chariots”, which has expanded the scope of its campaign in Gaza. The aim appears to be accelerating the displacement of Palestinians from the Strip in coordination with the US administration.

Nevertheless, Israel Hayom reported, citing informed sources, that Washington is not giving this issue the attention required to move the plan forward rapidly.

READ: Trump’s remarks on plan to take over Gaza, displace Palestinians