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An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to advance plans to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip after Israel’s two-year war on the enclave, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Thursday.
The Israeli newspaper said Netanyahu had tasked Caroline Glick, his adviser on international affairs, with promoting plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.
Israel has described the relocation of Palestinians as “voluntary migration” after its assault on Gaza killed more than 72,000 people, injured over 172,000 and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure.
According to Haaretz, Glick contacted Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in an attempt to arrange the transfer of Gaza residents.
The efforts were unsuccessful, the report said.
Citing an external source, Haaretz said Glick also presented related ideas to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Israel in connection with plans announced last year by U.S. President Donald Trump for what was termed a “Gaza Riviera.”
The proposal, announced Feb. 4, 2025, envisioned transforming Gaza into a high-end tourist destination after relocating its population to third countries under the label of “voluntary migration.”
Under the plan, the U.S. would oversee Gaza’s administration and reconstruction.
Haaretz said a diplomatic cable from early last year, parts of which it reviewed, indicated that Glick sought through contacts in Israel and the U.S. to turn Trump’s Gaza plan into a practical program.
Glick was appointed shortly before Netanyahu’s visit to the White House in February 2025, after the start of Trump’s second term.
According to the newspaper, Glick’s official responsibilities have not been publicly disclosed, and it remains unclear whether she is still involved in efforts to promote the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.
There was no comment from Netanyahu’s office or Glick on the report.
Israeli plans for Palestinian relocation from Gaza have been strongly rejected by Arab states and many countries around the world.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007.
About 1.5 million Palestinians out of roughly 2.4 million are without shelter after their homes were destroyed during the Israeli war.
A ceasefire agreement was reached after two years of war that began Oct. 8, 2023, when Israel began bombing Gaza.
Despite the official ceasefire, Israeli military actions and persistent blockades on essential supplies—including food and medicine—leave the vast majority of Gaza's population in a state of severe humanitarian distress.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.
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