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Mossad Chief's Diplomatic Request
David Barnea, head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, has requested US assistance in persuading several nations to accept hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees from Gaza. According to Axios reports, Barnea met with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Washington last week, proposing that Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya could potentially absorb displaced Gazans. Barnea suggested these countries might be receptive if offered incentives by the United States.
US Response
Witkoff reportedly made no commitments during the discussion, though talks remain ongoing between the parties.
Controversial Relocation Plans
This diplomatic initiative follows Israeli Defense Minister Katz's proposal to forcibly relocate Gaza's entire population to a closed camp in Rafah. The plan, which would initially accommodate 600,000 Palestinians before expanding to house all Gazans, has drawn international condemnation as ethnic cleansing.
Netanyahu's Position
Prime Minister Netanyahu frequently references "voluntary" relocation, though humanitarian conditions in Gaza - where 70% of infrastructure lies destroyed and Israel controls aid distribution - severely limit genuine choice. Military leadership contradicts Katz, stating population transfer isn't a war objective.
Trump's Vision for Gaza
Former US President Trump has advocated permanently removing Palestinians from Gaza, envisioning the territory's redevelopment as a "Middle Eastern Riviera." His calls for Jordan and Egypt to absorb refugees were rejected by Arab states and UN Secretary-General Guterres, who condemned the proposal as ethnic cleansing.
Humanitarian Crisis
Since Hamas's October 2023 attack, over 1.9 million Gazans have been internally displaced, many fleeing multiple times as Israeli forces advance. Humanitarian access remains tightly controlled, with only the US-Israeli GHF organization authorized to distribute food since May 2025 through four southern distribution points - a system critics allege weaponizes aid to pressure migration.
