Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated at a conference on Wednesday that Israel is still working to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, asserting that de-populating the territory is the “only solution” and that “there is no real solution for Gaza without this migration.” He noted that former US President Donald Trump had frozen, but not cancelled, a plan that human rights advocates describe as ethnic cleansing. Katz added that the plan is “being discussed all the time” and requires US support. US Senator Chris Van Hollen condemned Katz's statement, saying it confirms their earlier warnings that Israel plans to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian enclave.