Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday said he had no plans to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip after government ministers made controversial comments about the possibility of Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave.
Rivlin said in a statement that Israeli security forces and the Israeli government were continuing their efforts to restore peace and security to the region, but he insisted there was “no suggestion of expelling Palestinians from the region.”
His comments come amid an uproar in the Israeli parliament in recent days, after two cabinet ministers declared their support for the idea of expelling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and carrying out Israeli airstrikes on the enclave if a truce was not achieved.
The ministers in question are Education Minister Rafi Peretz and Justice Minister Amir Ohana, both of whom belong to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party. Their comments sparked outrage in Israel, with the country’s attorney general vowing to investigate the matter.
Rivlin’s statement was in response to the ministers’ remarks and sought to quell any notion that Israel was pursuing a policy of forced displacement.
“The State of Israel is not seeking to expel any of its citizens or residents,” the statement said. “The political echelon is committed to upholding the human rights of all Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
The statement added that the Israeli policy was to “seek genuine understanding and reconciliation between Israel and its neighbors,” regardless of religion, and that any differences that remained after negotiations were to be tackled through diplomacy and dialogue.
