Western and Middle East power brokers are determined to keep the residents of Gaza trapped in their terrorist-ruled, war-torn coastal enclave. But they want to leave, and Israel wants to help them do so.
A new survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) reveals that 49% of Gazans would seek Israeli assistance to relocate abroad if such an option was presented to them.
A Gallup survey conducted two months ago had similar results, with 52% of Gazans saying at the time that they would leave Gaza either temporarily or permanently if possible. Only 39% expressed a determination to remain in Gaza no matter the circumstances.
A Washington Institute for Near East Policy poll conducted in March put the number of Gazans seeking life elsewhere at an overwhelming 60%.
US President Donald Trump previously shocked the world when he called for the relocation of nearly all of Gaza’s population while America and partner nations rebuilt the coastal territory. That plan was strongly opposed by Arab nations, and it is unclear if Trump remains committed to it.
Israel, on the other hand, took Trump’s proposal as a major shift in Middle East peacemaking policy, noting that it had legitimized the formerly taboo notion of population transfer as a solution to the conflict.
Israel has quietly facilitated the departure of hundreds of Gazans in recent months, but the migration has been slow, largely due to a lack of host nations willing to take in large numbers of Palestinians.
The new polling data suggest that more and more Gazans are ready to leave behind a territory ravaged by war and misrule—if the world is willing to help them take the next step.
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