Israel proposes to build an artificial island off the coast of Gaza. This is the idea illustrated by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in his speech to the EU Council.
According to Guardian sources, this proposal caused consternation and confusion among EU foreign ministers. “The ministers ignored the idea and continued with the meeting. Nobody has been confirmed,” a source told the British newspaper. Katz first presented a plan for an island off Gaza in 2017, when he was transportation minister.
Katz “showed us two videos that had nothing to do with what we were talking about. We had the pleasure of watching two very interesting videos: As far as I know, it's about a planned artificial island that will serve as a harbor. The other is about some construction projects for a railway line that will connect the Middle East with India,” EU High Representative Josep Borrell said at a press conference in Brussels.
“This too – he continues – seemed very interesting to us, but I believe that the minister could have used his time better since he was worried about the security of his country and the high number of deaths in Gaza,” he concludes.
It is unclear whether Katz actually suggested to ministers that the artificial island could also house Palestinian civilians. A European diplomatic source explains that the minister “showed a video but did not suggest that it was used to house Palestinians,” but rather that it would function as a “port” and a site for a seawater “desalination plant.” .
Israel's answer
The State Department categorically rejects reports from The Guardian that Katz had floated the idea of temporarily housing Gaza citizens on an artificial island in the Mediterranean. “He has never said anything like that and there is no such plan,” the State Department told the Times of Israel. Katz presented ministers with a plan to build a port for Gaza on an artificial island to control incoming goods, a project he has been pushing for years.