Ben Gvir Unveils 'Disengagement 710' Plan to Relocate 1.86 Million Palestinians From Gaza

On Thursday, September 3, 2026, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir unveiled a party platform he called 'Disengagement 710' — a reference to Israel's 2005 Gaza withdrawal and the October 7, 2023 attack — proposing what he termed the 'voluntary emigration' of most of Gaza's roughly 2.3 million Palestinians ahead of the October 27 Israeli election. The plan targets 250,000 departures within the first year, 1.11 million within three years, and 1.86 million within seven years, to be administered by a newly created government ministry offering emigrants travel assistance, initial housing, vocational training, and up to 24 months of financial support. Proposed destination countries include Turkey, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and unspecified Arab states, none of which have agreed to accept Gazans. Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party estimated an initial NIS 10 billion ($3 billion) Israeli investment, with up to NIS 50 billion ($15.2 billion) more contingent on international matching funds. 'Instead of illusions of peace now, we need actions of emigration now,' Ben Gvir said. 'Instead of [Gazans] digging tunnels, it's time to pack suitcases.' Legal analysts note that forced or coerced civilian displacement from occupied territory constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions; the plan was widely described as facing steep international opposition and unlikely to be implemented.