1,000 Palestinians leave Gaza as part of Israel’s exodus plan

TEL AVIV

Israel has initiated a program to facilitate the emigration of Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip with so-called voluntary departure plan, as around 1,000 people have left since early March as part of a Defense Ministry plan.

An additional 600 are expected to depart this week, according to Israeli media.

The move follows the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of a new directorate aimed at supporting the “voluntary departure” of Gazans to third countries.

The initiative took concrete shape last week when 70 individuals with foreign citizenship or family ties abroad flew out of southern Israel’s Ramon Airport on a Romanian military plane bound for Europe.

Israeli authorities have framed the departures as part of their broader “emigration policy.”

The latest evacuations coincide with ongoing military operations in Gaza and growing international calls to increase humanitarian aid to the region.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on March 22 that the newly established directorate would oversee the process, ensuring a "safe and controlled" passage for those choosing to leave. The administration will coordinate border crossings, infrastructure and transportation routes by land, sea, and air in collaboration with destination countries.

Katz emphasized that the program complies with Israeli and international law and aligns with the vision of former U.S. President Donald Trump, under whose administration efforts were made to find countries willing to receive Palestinians from Gaza.

“We are utilizing all available means to implement this vision and will facilitate the departure of any Gaza resident seeking to relocate,” he said.

Meanwhile, an attack on Monday in northern Israel killed a 75-year-old man and wounded another, first responders said, with police saying officers had "neutralised" the assailant.

Emergency services provider Magen David Adom said the attack at a junction southeast of the coastal city of Haifa involved "ramming, stabbing and shooting.”

It said a 75-year-old man was killed and a 20-year-old man left in critical condition, both the result of "penetrating wounds", suggesting either shooting or stabbing.