Ben-Gvir says Israel should take all of Gaza and encourage Palestinians to leave for France or Britain

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel should take control of the entire Gaza Strip and encourage Palestinians there to leave for countries including France and Britain, in a pre-election interview with The Jerusalem Post.

“It’s our land,” Ben-Gvir said. Asked where Gazans could go, he suggested France and Britain, saying they could receive better living conditions there. He has described the proposal as voluntary emigration and has backed President Donald Trump’s earlier proposal to relocate Gaza’s population.

Ben-Gvir also defended his hard-line approach to Hamas, asking whether any country would accept an armed group on its border seeking to kill its citizens. “Every world leader would say, ‘No, I would not accept that.’ So why should we accept it?” he said.

Discussing Syria, Ben-Gvir attacked President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, over his improving relations with Washington, saying: “Once ISIS, always ISIS.” Al-Sharaa was previously affiliated with al-Qaeda and led its Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, but was not an ISIS leader; his group fought Islamic State and broke with al-Qaeda in 2016.

Ben-Gvir also pointed to his contacts in the United States, saying he received a warm welcome during a visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and remained in contact with American officials. His 2025 visit included meetings with Republican figures, although the U.S. State Department later rejected one of his claims that senior Republicans supported bombing aid facilities in Gaza.

He separately argued that Iran posed a threat beyond Israel, saying: “The Iranians want to harm Americans. The Iranians want to destroy Americans.”

The interview was conducted ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election, with Ben-Gvir seeking a stronger role in the next government and publicly demanding the defense portfolio.