Israel will not ‘expel or deport’ anyone from Gaza – Minister

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Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday said his country was “not planning to expel or to deport anyone from Gaza Strip” during a visit to Slovenia for the opening of an Israeli embassy.

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If someone wants to leave Gaza “from 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,” he added.

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Several Israeli cabinet members have spoken of plans to remove all two million people from war-ravaged Gaza, although they largely cast the initiative as voluntary, saying that Palestinians want to leave and are prevented by the militant group Hamas.

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Saar was speaking at a press conference in Ljubljana ahead of the opening of an Israeli embassy there as Slovenia looks to reset diplomatic ties with Israel under nationalist Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

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He thanked Slovenia for its “friendship” and for “standing with Israel when it matters”.

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“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,” Saar said.

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“Israel remembers its friends. As you have stood with us, we will stand with you,” he said.

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The opening of an Israeli embassy in Ljubljana marks a dramatic departure from the policies of the previous centre-left government, which had been one of the EU’s most critical voices on Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

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AFP

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