The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Tuesday denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “voluntary migration” plan for Gaza residents as “a ridiculous plan and an attempt to market illusions to prolong Israel’s aggression.”
In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Hamas affirmed the Palestinian side’s rejection of deportation and displacement, stressing that “there is no emigration and no other choice but to remain steadfast on our land.”
At a Likud party meeting on Monday, Netanyahu said efforts are being made to push for a plan to implement “voluntary migration” of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to other countries.
It came as Israel is continuing its bombardments in Gaza, which had killed 20,674 Palestinians in the enclave, including 8,500 children, 6,300 women, 311 medical staff, 40 civil defense personnel, and 103 journalists, according to the tally from the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Monday.
Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qedra said in a press statement that 52 deceased and more than 500 injured arrived at hospitals during the past hours as a result of Israel’s air and artillery attacks in various areas of Gaza, noting that the hospital occupancy rate in southern Gaza has reached 350 percent.
In addition, over 7,000 remain missing in Gaza, mostly under the rubble of destroyed buildings, the Gaza-based government media office said Tuesday.
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. ■
