US envoy rejects claims of forced Palestinian displacement from Gaza

The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has rejected claims that Israel or the United States is preparing to forcibly remove

The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has rejected claims that Israel or the United States is preparing to forcibly remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, despite recent proposals from far-right Israeli ministers calling for the territory’s population to leave.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Palestinian-American communities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday, Huckabee said there was no Israeli plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza.

“I can tell you categorically there is no plan of the Israelis to displace people out of Gaza against their will,” he said.

Huckabee’s remarks followed controversial statements by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who recently presented a proposal aimed at encouraging large numbers of Palestinians to leave Gaza. Under his plan, around 250,000 people would reportedly leave during the first year, while the remaining population of nearly two million would depart over the next six years.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also said that Israel was prepared to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from Gaza by land and sea. Katz claimed that Israel was waiting for the United States to determine possible destinations for those who wanted to leave. He also alleged, without providing evidence, that around 80 per cent of Gaza’s population wanted to leave but were being prevented from doing so by Hamas.

Huckabee said the administration of US President Donald Trump supported giving Palestinians the freedom to leave Gaza if they made that decision voluntarily. He described preventing people from leaving as unacceptable, while stressing that forced displacement was not being proposed by either Israel or the United States.

During his West Bank visit, Huckabee spent around two hours meeting Palestinian-Americans at the home of community member Samir Hazmeh. The meeting was followed by lunch, where the group shared maqluba, a traditional Palestinian dish made with rice and meat.

Hazmeh told the ambassador that his home had been targeted by Israeli settlers on several occasions. He said the windows had been broken twice and alleged that settlers had attempted to enter the property and set it on fire. He said he had installed barbed wire around the property and displayed an American flag in an effort to deter further attacks.

Another Palestinian-American, Yasser Alqam, told Huckabee that although he owned land only about 100 metres from his home, he was unable to access it because of repeated attacks by settlers.

Alqam urged Washington to use its influence over Israel to take action against settlers accused of violence. He also criticised President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions previously imposed by the Biden administration on certain extremist Israeli settlers.

Alqam’s wife, Jinan, who wore traditional Palestinian clothing, said she hoped Huckabee could help protect Palestinian residents and enable them to safely access their agricultural land during the upcoming olive-picking season.

Huckabee also visited Taybeh, one of the few remaining Christian villages in the West Bank, in June 2025 after a church was vandalised. At the time, he described the incident as both a crime and an act of terror.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued expanding settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers currently live among roughly three million Palestinians in the territory.

Despite criticism of settler violence, Netanyahu’s coalition includes far-right ministers who have publicly discussed removing Palestinians from Gaza.

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor and former Arkansas governor, has long expressed strong support for Israel. Addressing settler violence, he invoked biblical teachings, saying Scripture clearly condemns stealing and killing.

His comments come months after he faced international criticism, including from Pakistan and several other countries, over remarks suggesting he would not oppose Israeli control over large parts of the Middle East.