The Israeli Minister of National Security, the ultraright Itamar Ben Gvir, this Wednesday (3) once again defended a mass exodus of Palestinians from Gaza, rejecting American criticism that described his previous statements on the matter as “irresponsible”.
“The United States is our best friend, but above all we will do what is best for the State of Israel. “The emigration of hundreds of thousands of people from Gaza will allow (Israeli) residents to return to their homes (on the outskirts of Gaza) and live in safety, as well as protect our soldiers,” wrote Ben Gvir on the social network X in response to criticism North American.
Ben Gvir, leader of the farright Jewish Force party, called on Monday for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza after the war and the “encouragement” of the Palestinian population to emigrate. The day before, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a rightwing extremist, made a similar appeal.
The expulsion of a population from its territory is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions, which form the core of international humanitarian law, and the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) describes the “removal or forcible transfer of a population” as a crime against humanity. .
“The United States rejects recent statements by Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir proposing the relocation of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement released Tuesday.
“This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible,” he emphasized.
Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, returned to the accusation on Wednesday, saying in statements published by the press that “70% of Israeli public opinion supports the voluntary emigration of Arabs from Gaza and their admission to other countries.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which brings together rightwing, farright and ultraOrthodox Jewish parties, has already been accused of vastly increasing the power of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.