The State Department on Tuesday rejected controversial comments by two Israeli officials earlier this week, claiming the comments on a potential resettlement of Palestinians following the war in Israel were “irresponsible.”
Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday pushed for Palestinians to migrate to other countries instead of returning to Gaza when the war ends. Their comments came amid the war between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas, which started on Oct. 7, 2023.
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State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States has been clear that Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people rather than Israel and claimed the comments were “irresponsible” and “inflammatory.”
“The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza,” Miller said in a statement. “This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible. We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately.”
The U.S. government has been a strong ally of Israel amid its war with Hamas, asserting that Israel has the right to respond and defend itself after the terrorist organization launched its unexpected attack. Miller said the U.S. seeks a two-state solution to the conflict, which would see Palestinians return to Gaza while Israel keeps its land.
“We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel,” Miller said in the statement. “That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world.”
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Since the start of the war three months ago, roughly 85% of the Palestinian population has fled Gaza, according to the Associated Press. The conflict has led to the deaths of thousands of people on both sides, including civilians.
Approximately 240 people in Israel were taken as hostages during Hamas’s initial attack, and more than 100 of them remain in captivity.
