Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has introduced a controversial initiative titled ‘Disengagement 710,’ which aims to facilitate the removal of almost the entire Palestinian population from Gaza over the next seven years. The proposal has become a cornerstone of his election campaign, with his Otzma Yehudit party demanding the establishment of a dedicated Emigration Ministry as a prerequisite for joining any future governing coalition.
The scale of the project is extensive, targeting the forced removal of 250,000 Palestinians within the first year. This figure is projected to rise to 1.11 million people within three years, ultimately reaching 1.86 million—covering nearly the entire population of the enclave—by the end of the seven-year timeline. To fund this, the plan suggests an initial Israeli investment of 10 billion shekels (approximately US$ 3.3 billion), with a potential total framework of 50 billion shekels, contingent upon securing international cooperation to accept the displaced individuals.
Dr. Munir Nuseibah, a human rights lawyer and professor at Al-Quds University, argues that the branding of this plan as ‘voluntary’ is a legal facade. He asserts that the proposal constitutes a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention and qualifies as a crime against humanity. According to Nuseibah, the strategy mirrors historical displacement tactics used since the 1948 Nakba to establish Jewish-majority regions through colonization.
The legal argument against the plan hinges on the coercive environment currently existing in Gaza. With housing largely destroyed, reconstruction materials restricted, and movement severely limited, residents are facing conditions that preclude genuine choice. Nuseibah notes that the population is currently confined to a third of the territory, living in tents while struggling daily for basic necessities like food, water, and education. He emphasizes that the destruction of infrastructure and the blockade on rebuilding efforts are designed to make remaining in the territory untenable.
UN human rights experts have warned that removing Palestinians under these duress-filled circumstances amounts to forced transfer, regardless of how the policy is framed. This stance is shared by several nations, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar, which have rejected any attempt to impose a new demographic reality on the occupied Palestinian territory, labeling such actions a violation of international law.
The political maneuvering behind ‘Disengagement 710’ allows Ben-Gvir to position himself to the right of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the far-right factions compete over the future of Gaza. While Netanyahu has reportedly expressed reservations in Cabinet, he has previously referenced the idea of Palestinian emigration. Meanwhile, other figures, such as former general Ofer Winter, have incorporated similar concepts into their own political platforms.
Reports indicate that Israel has previously sought to pressure Egypt and Jordan through diplomatic channels in the US and Germany to absorb Gaza’s population. Furthermore, the US government proposed in February 2025 that Palestinians leave the enclave, though the White House later shifted its position, stating in its 20-point Gaza plan that the population should remain. Defense Minister Israel Katz has suggested that Israel is currently awaiting US approval to proceed with further actions.
Ultimately, the plan relies on the premise that Palestinians would choose to leave. However, as Nuseibah observes, when ‘voluntary’ stops being voluntary, the reality is a systematic effort to empty the land. He maintains that any Palestinian departing under current conditions is not acting out of choice, but out of a desperate need for survival and the basic ability to provide for their children. The report also notes that the scale of the proposal leaves little ambiguity about what it would mean in practice. The report also notes that the proposal is built around the premise that Palestinians in Gaza can simply be relocated elsewhere. The report also notes that along with funding, legal status, housing and a support package, each person leaving would reportedly be assigned a destination country. The report also notes that but Palestinians in Gaza have made clear that they do not want to leave their homes or be removed from their homeland. The report also notes that for them, the question is why they should be expected to surrender their homes and land in the first place. The report also notes that displacing Palestinians from their homes to create Jewish-majority areas in regions it has been colonising ever since.”, this is something Israel has been doing since the Nakba of 1948. The report also notes that “Now the Zionist ambition is to colonise Gaza, and the objective is to displace Palestinians, evict them from Gaza, ethnically cleanse them, and then make Gaza ready for Israeli colonisation,” Nuseibah adds.