Gaza Herald – Repeated statements by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are drawing renewed condemnation from Palestinian rights advocates, who say his calls for intensified attacks, the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and the expansion of Israeli settlements point to an openly stated agenda of removing Palestinians from their homeland.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights said Sunday that Ben-Gvir’s latest remarks should not be viewed as isolated political rhetoric, but as part of a sustained pattern of statements advocating the forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinian population and the expansion of Israeli control over the territory.
In a recent podcast interview, Ben-Gvir called for Israeli air raids on Gaza at night and spoke of killing dozens of Palestinians in individual attacks. He also made dehumanizing remarks about Palestinians in Gaza, questioned their right to live, called for the occupation of the entire Strip, and advocated pushing its population out.
Palestinian rights advocates say such language is particularly alarming after nearly three years of Israeli attacks that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, wounded hundreds of thousands more and devastated Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly promoted similar ideas. In July 2026, during a public settlement event, he reportedly declared that Israeli settlements would extend throughout Gaza and said, “Gaza is ours.” His recent remarks follow earlier calls for what Israeli officials have said is “voluntary migration” from Gaza, an idea Palestinian organizations have consistently warned could amount to forced displacement under the cover of coercive conditions.
The rights center also pointed to Ben-Gvir’s repeated advocacy for harsh collective punishment and the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners, arguing that his rhetoric increasingly combines territorial expansion, population displacement and calls for killing Palestinians.
For Palestinian rights groups, the significance of these statements lies not only in the words themselves, but in their connection to policies and actions carried out on the ground. Gaza has experienced mass displacement, widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, restrictions on humanitarian access and the continued loss of Palestinian lives.
According to Palestinian health authorities, 73,391 Palestinians had been killed and 174,280 injured since October 7, 2023, as of the rights center’s statement. The figures reflect the enormous human toll of the Israeli genocide across the Strip.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights argued that repeated public statements by a senior Israeli government minister can provide important evidence when assessing the intent behind policies affecting Gaza’s Palestinian population. It said the statements should be examined alongside the broader pattern of military conduct, displacement and destruction.
The center also referenced the International Court of Justice’s January 2024 provisional measures in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. The court found that the rights claimed by South Africa under the Genocide Convention were plausible and ordered provisional measures aimed at preventing acts falling within the convention and ensuring the preservation of evidence. The case itself remains ongoing.
Palestinian rights advocates are calling on governments and international institutions to respond to statements advocating the displacement or destruction of Palestinians rather than treating them as ordinary political rhetoric.
They are also urging the International Criminal Court to consider public statements by senior Israeli officials as part of its examination of crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory, arguing that such statements may help establish the broader context and intent surrounding violations.
For Palestinians in Gaza, the issue is not abstract. After years of bombardment, displacement and destruction, calls to remove Palestinians from their land are heard against the backdrop of families who have already been repeatedly forced from their homes.
Rights groups say the international community must act before rhetoric advocating displacement becomes further entrenched as policy, and before another generation of Palestinians is forced to pay the price.
