As Hamas digs in, Israel moves forward with proposal for voluntary emigration from Gaza

Palestinians seen with their belongings after fleeing from their homes in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on March 22, 2025. Photo by Khalil Kahlout/ Flash90

Reports in Hebrew media said that the security cabinet on Saturday evening approved the establishment of an administration to oversee voluntary emigration of residents from the Gaza Strip to a third country, “in accordance with the vision of U.S. President Donald Trump.” 

Defense Minister Israel Katz proposed the move, saying, “We are working by all means to implement the vision of the president of the United States, and we will allow every resident of Gaza who wishes to move voluntarily to a third country to do so.” 

According to the proposal, a directorate will be established within the Ministry of Defense to begin coordinating with international organizations, by international law, to allow Gaza residents who wish to leave the opportunity to do so. 

Pushing back against the narrative of forced expulsion, Minister Katz accused Hamas of keeping the Gaza residents trapped in the destroyed enclave. 

“Hamas used the residents of Gaza as human shields and built terror infrastructures in the heart of the population, and now it is holding them hostage, extorting money from them using humanitarian aid, and preventing them from leaving Gaza,” Katz remarked. 

Israel recently restarted military operations in Gaza in an attempt to push Hamas to soften its positions in negotiations around extending the first phase of the hostage-ceasefire agreement. 

On Saturday evening, a government source told The Jerusalem Post that military pressure has not worked. 

“Israel has been attacking Gaza for seven days, but Hamas is not showing flexibility, which is preventing the negotiations from resuming,” the source said. 

A government official told the Post that the military has deliberately kept its operations at a lower threshold, to judge Hamas’ response. However, given the lack of engagement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will likely increase its operations in the coming days. 

“We want a deal for the release of hostages, so for now, we are keeping responses below a certain threshold. But Hamas is signaling that it is not engaging, so there is no choice – the responses will escalate,” the official said. 

On Sunday morning, the IDF issued an “urgent” evacuation warning for the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. 

IDF Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee posted a message to social media, along with a map of the area to be evacuated, saying that “the area you are in is considered a dangerous combat zone” as the military carries out operations there.” 

“Evacuate the area immediately,” the message stated. 

#عاجل انذار عاجل الى سكان قطاع غزة المتواجدين في منطقة تل السلطان في رفح

بدأ جيش الدفاع هجوماً لضرب المنظمات الإرهابية حيث تعتبر المنطقة التي تتواجدون فيها منطقة قتال خطيرة.

شارع غوش قطيف يعتبر مسارًا إنسانيًا لاستخدامكم من أجل الانتقال الى منطقة المواصي.

نحذركم:… pic.twitter.com/7uY6g8GBEV

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) March 23, 2025

Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed on Sunday, that a senior political leader, Salah al-Bardawil and his wife, were killed in an airstrike on Khan Younis overnight. 

He is the highest political figure in Hamas to be killed since de facto government head Essam Addalees and internal security chief Mahmoud Abu Watfa were killed last Tuesday. 

The Hamas-affiliated Palestinian media organization Quds News reported on Sunday that Muhammad Hassan al-Amour, an aide to Yahya Sinwar, was killed overnight in the wave of IDF airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

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