Mossad Director David Barnea held closed‑door meetings in Washington this week to seek U.S. help for an Israeli plan that would move large numbers of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Friday.
Citing two officials briefed on the talks, the channel said Barnea asked White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to rally support and incentives for third countries that might take in Gazans. Israel has floated Indonesia, Ethiopia and Libya as potential destinations and claims the transfers would be “voluntary”; humanitarian groups and UN experts condemn the idea as ethnic cleansing.
One source told Channel 12 that Witkoff offered no commitments.
The push follows President Donald Trump’s February proposal to depopulate Gaza and place the territory under U.S. administration for economic development—an initiative that has stalled amid Arab opposition and lukewarm reception in Washington.
According to Israeli officials, the Biden‑era U.S. administration previously told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any relocation plan would hinge on Israel lining up host countries first. Netanyahu said last week that Israel was “close” to securing such partners.