JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israel would let Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip, as the military prepares a broader offense in the territory.

Past calls to resettle Gazans outside of the war-battered territory, including from US President Donald Trump, have sparked concern among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community.

In an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS, Netanyahu said "we are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave." He cited refugee outflows during wars in Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

In the Gaza Strip, Israel has for years tightly controlled the borders and barred many Palestinians from leaving.

Netanyahu stated that Israel would allow Palestinians to leave Gaza during the ongoing conflict.

For Palestinians, any effort to force them off their land recalls the "Nakba," or catastrophe, which refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.

Earlier this year, Trump suggested the United States should take control of Gaza and relocate its population to Egypt and Jordan.

Netanyahu previously mentioned his government's efforts to find third countries to accept Gazans, following Trump's suggestion to expel the population and redevelop the territory as a holiday destination.

Far-right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition have called for the "voluntary" departure of Palestinians from Gaza.

Last week, Israel's security cabinet approved plans to expand the war into remaining parts of Gaza not yet controlled by the military.

The majority of Gaza's inhabitants have been displaced at least once during the ongoing conflict, triggered by Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel.