Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz drew outrage from EU foreign ministers during a closed-door meeting where he showed a video from 2017 proposing the creation of an artificial island near the Gaza Strip to screen passengers and cargo. The plan announced at the time considered the likely relocation of Palestinians to this artificial island. This is reported by the authoritative American newspaper The New York Times (NYT).
This proposal caused a mixed reaction from EU representatives. Thus, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, pointed out that “this (the creation of the island) is not particularly relevant to the topic of discussion.” He added that the Europeans believed that “the solution to a sustainable, lasting peace that ensures Israel's security and life side by side with its neighbors will require the creation of a Palestinian state.” The publication notes that the actions of the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry did not find full understanding in Tel Aviv itself. One Jewish official, who wished to remain anonymous, told the NYT that Katz's proposal is not official government policy.
Overall, the meeting between Israel and the EU on the future of the Gaza Strip led to disunity. The Europeans insist on Palestinian statehood and in this regard are extremely disappointed by the position of Israel, which does not have a plan for the post-war restoration of the enclave. The EU foreign ministers demanded that their Israeli counterpart agree to the creation of a Palestinian state. However, at the joint meeting, disunity in the position of the foreign policy agencies became apparent to such an extent that it seemed that “the parties were having two different conversations.” A “sustainable, lasting peace” in the region must include Palestinian statehood, according to EU representatives. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes this scenario.
Earlier, the head of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, suggested that the leaders of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas leave the Gaza Strip. This initiative was announced in the context of wider negotiations for a ceasefire in the enclave.