Ben Gvir launches Gaza 'Disengagement 710' emigration plan as a campaign centerpiece
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir presented a 20-page plan on Thursday for the voluntary emigration of Gaza's population, projecting 250,000 departures in the first year, before Israel's 27 October election. Israeli outlet Ynetnews reported the plan, called 'Disengagement 710', follows Ben Gvir's decision to play down an earlier, unrelated campaign proposal, and that no country has agreed to accept Palestinians leaving Gaza. His Jewish Power party will demand a dedicated emigration ministry in coalition talks.
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A 20-page plan and its funding
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir set out a 20-page document on Thursday, titled a national work plan for voluntary emigration from the Gaza Strip, projecting 250,000 departures in the first year and a dedicated pathway of documents, travel, housing and training for up to 24 months for each family. Turkey, Ethiopia, Congo and several Arab states are among the destinations Ben Gvir has raised, though he named no country that has agreed to receive people. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel was ready to act with United States approval, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed extending the measure to the occupied West Bank; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not adopted the plan.[1]
A campaign centerpiece with a history
Israeli outlet Ynetnews reported the plan, called 'Disengagement 710' in reference to Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, follows Ben Gvir's decision to play down an earlier, unrelated campaign proposal, and will be a central demand by his Jewish Power party in coalition negotiations. The idea of voluntary emigration from Gaza first surfaced after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu in February 2025, and Netanyahu later discussed accepting people leaving Gaza with Ethiopia, Congo and Somaliland, though the plan never advanced and the Trump administration's own Gaza plan said residents would remain in the Strip.[2]
No country has agreed, and criticism follows
No country has so far agreed to accept people leaving Gaza, even as the plan already draws domestic uproar and international criticism, Ynetnews reported. Forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.[1], [2]
