Israeli politician Moshe Feiglin called for Gaza’s entire Palestinian population to leave the territory, including newborn babies, during a contentious interview in which he argued that residents bear collective responsibility for the October 7 massacre.
Feiglin rejected distinctions between Hamas terrorists and Gaza’s civilian population, declaring, “Hamas is Gaza, and Gaza is Hamas.” He said the territory should be returned to Jewish control.
When asked whether his proposal included everyone in Gaza, down to babies born prematurely, Feiglin answered affirmatively.
The interviewers repeatedly challenged his position, noting that Gaza’s entire population had not participated in the October 7 attack. Feiglin nevertheless maintained that residents should bear responsibility for Hamas’s actions, drawing comparisons with Germany under Nazi rule and wartime Japan.
He invoked the Allied bombing of German cities and the American atomic bombings of Japan, arguing that Gazans should be grateful he was proposing their departure rather than similar military action.
Feiglin blamed the Oslo peace process and Israel’s disengagement from Gaza for creating what he described as an extremist entity that had forfeited its right to remain in the territory after October 7.
Challenged over whether removing an entire population would constitute collective punishment and a war crime, Feiglin rejected that characterization and described his proposal as justice.
He also claimed that a newborn in Gaza would grow up to carry out another October 7 attack against an Israeli child, presenting the removal of the population as necessary to prevent future violence.
Asked where Gaza’s residents would go, Feiglin suggested Britain, Somaliland and Arab countries. He did not outline any agreements with those destinations to accept them, instead arguing that opening the borders would allow residents to leave and eventually settle elsewhere.
The interview also included disputes over election results and population figures. Feiglin initially claimed that all Gazans had voted for Hamas, then revised the figure to more than 90%. The interviewers countered that Hamas received approximately 44% of the vote in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election.
Feiglin further claimed that fewer than 800,000 people remained in Gaza. The interviewers challenged that estimate, saying most international organizations place the population above two million.
Following the interview, the hosts warned that implementing his proposals could expose Israel to serious international legal consequences.
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