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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that Israel is “not planning to expel or to deport anyone from the Gaza Strip,” while saying Palestinians who voluntarily choose to leave could do so if another country agrees to receive them.
“If someone wants to leave Gaza of his own will, and there is a country which is ready to accept him, as it happens from any conflict area in the world, we will not oppose that,” Saar said.
Several Israeli Cabinet members have spoken about plans to remove all 2 million people from war-ravaged Gaza, although they have largely described such departures as voluntary, saying Palestinians want to leave but are prevented from doing so by Hamas.
Saar made the remarks at a news conference in Ljubljana ahead of the opening of an Israeli embassy in Slovenia, as the country seeks to reset diplomatic relations with Israel under nationalist Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
Saar thanked Slovenia for its “friendship” and for “standing with Israel when it matters.”
“An embassy is more than a flag in the building. It is an investment in a relationship and a commitment to its future. And that is exactly what we are planning to do together,” he said.
“Israel remembers its friends. As you have stood with us, we will stand with you,” Saar added.
The opening of the Israeli embassy in Ljubljana marks a significant shift from the policies of Slovenia’s previous center-left government, which had been among the European Union’s most critical voices regarding Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
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