Israel 'To Allow' Palestinians 'To Leave Gaza', Says Netanyahu Amid Ceasefire Push
Netanyahu's remark comes as Qatari and American mediators push for a 60-day ceasefire during renewed talks in Egypt.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said that Israel will "allow" Palestinians to leave Gaza as the military prepared a broader offensive in the territory.
The Israeli PM defended his war policies shortly after Egypt said Gaza mediators were leading a new push to secure a 60-day ceasefire, reported AFP.
"We are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave," said Netanyahu in a rare interview with the Israeli media.
"Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, combat zones, and generally to leave the territory, if they want," he said, referring to refugee outflux during wars in Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.
"We will allow this, first of all, within Gaza during the fighting, and we will certainly allow them to leave Gaza as well," he added.
Earlier calls for Gazans to resettle outside the war-battered territory, including by US President Donald Trump, have sparked concern among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community.
Previously, Trump suggested expelling Gaza's more than two million people to Egypt and Jordan, which was backed by Netanyahu. Israel's far-right ministers, meanwhile, have called for their "voluntary" departure.
Ceasefire Talks
Israel's decision to expand the military offensive in the besieged territory comes as ceasefire talks and a hostage deal in the 22-month-old war have been stalled for weeks.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that Cairo was working with "in full cooperation" with Qatar and the US in full cooperation to secure a ceasefire for 60 days.
"Release of some hostages and some Palestinian detainees, and the flow of humanitarian and medical assistance to Gaza without restrictions, without conditions," are also part of the negotiations, he added.
On Wednesday, Hamas said a delegation of its leadership arrived in Cairo for "preliminary talks" with Egyptian officials.
Earlier, a Palestinian source told AFP that the mediators were working "to formulate a new comprehensive ceasefire agreement proposal" which would include release of all remaining hostages "in one batch".
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