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Palestinians in Gaza have rejected Israeli defense minister’s order to the army to plan Gaza evacuations, saying that they won’t leave their land.

On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the army to prepare a plan to allow the "voluntary departure" of residents from the Gaza strip.

Katz's plan will include exit options via land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departure by sea and air.

The instruction followed U.S. President Donald Trump's shock announcement that the United States plans to take over Gaza, resettle the Palestinians living there and transform the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East".

After the call, Netanyahu hailed Trump as Israel's "greatest friend" and praised his "willingness to think outside the box." US President administration appeared to backtrack Wednesday after his proposal to take over Gaza Faced a wave of criticism from Palestinians, Arab governments and world leaders, with the UN warning against "ethnic cleansing" in the Palestinian territory.