Axios: Israel’s Mossad seeks US help to relocate Palestinians from Gaza

The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, visited Washington this week to request U.S. assistance in persuading countries to accept hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from Gaza, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Barnea reportedly met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss Israel’s efforts to find nations willing to take in large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza. The countries mentioned as potential destinations include Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya, all of which Barnea said have shown some openness to the idea, Axios reports.

Israel’s government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claims the relocation would be voluntary. However, both U.S. and Israeli legal experts have warned that such a mass “relocation” plan could constitute a war crime under international law.

During the meeting, Barnea suggested that the U.S. might offer incentives to these countries to facilitate their acceptance of displaced Palestinians. Witkoff, however, was non-committal, and it remains unclear whether the Biden administration will actively support the initiative.

Efforts to secure official comments from the White House, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and the foreign ministries of Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya were unsuccessful prior to publication.

This development echoes a controversial proposal made by former President Donald Trump in February to remove Gaza’s entire population of approximately two million people as part of a plan to rebuild the enclave. The idea faced significant opposition from Arab nations and was ultimately shelved, though Israeli officials say the Trump administration urged Netanyahu to find willing host countries independently.

Nearly every resident of Gaza has been displaced at least once during the ongoing conflict, with much of the territory’s infrastructure destroyed. Israel is reportedly preparing to move the entire population into a small "humanitarian zone" near the Egyptian border, a plan that has raised alarm in Egypt and among Western governments over fears of forced mass displacement.

Senior Israeli officials have emphasised that any transfers would be voluntary and that Palestinians leaving Gaza would retain the right to return at any time. Yet critics argue that under the current conditions, the notion of voluntary departure is highly questionable.

In a recent visit to Washington, Netanyahu described the relocation plan as a “free choice” for Palestinians, asserting that no one would be forced to leave. He said, “If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn’t be a prison.”

A senior Israeli official also noted that Trump had shown ongoing interest in promoting the relocation concept, though the White House declined to comment on the matter.

By Vugar Khalilov