Katz says Gaza solution requires mass ‘emigration’, accuses Egypt of blocking departures

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Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 23, 2026. [Israeli Ministry of Defense – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said there could be no lasting solution for the Gaza Strip without what he described as the “genuine emigration” of Palestinians from the territory, while accusing Egypt of preventing such departures.

Speaking at the “Time for Decision” conference, organized by Yediot Aharonot and the Israel Democracy Institute, Katz said: “There is no real solution without a genuine emigration from there.”

Katz claimed that 80 percent of Gaza’s population wants to leave, but did not provide evidence for the figure.

“Everything is ready for emigration by air, sea and land, but Egypt is not prepared for it,” Katz said. He added that departures were currently being delayed because potential receiving countries were unwilling to accept Palestinians without US support.

Egypt has repeatedly rejected the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza into Egyptian territory and has warned against measures that could lead to their permanent removal from the enclave.

READ: Netanyahu says Israel will not withdraw from Gaza’s ‘Yellow Line,’ plans to expand control

Katz also addressed violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, rejecting the term “Jewish terrorism” to describe such attacks.

“I have abolished this concept. Terrorism is defined as acts committed against the State of Israel,” Katz said.

Asked by journalist Moran Azulay about attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages, Katz instead characterized them as “violence” and said those responsible should be punished. “They are now in prison,” he added.

Turning to Iran, Katz said he believed the likelihood of an Iranian attack on Israel could increase as economic and political pressure on Tehran intensifies.

He said Israel remained prepared both defensively and offensively and was coordinating with the United States over the potential threat from Iran.

READ: Over 55,000 urge new UK premier to hold Israel accountable over Gaza genocide

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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