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By: Vered Weiss, World Israel News
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) reports that 1,000 Palestinians left Gaza in March, with 600 in the process of leaving this week.
Every week, there between 200 and 300 requests are filed by Gazans to leave the Strip.
The trend is consistent with a plan unveiled by President Donald Trump calling for a voluntary exodus of Palestinians from Gaza so it can be rebuilt.
On Saturday night, the government voted to formally establish a new authority within the Defense Ministry to help facilitate mass migration by Gazans out of the Strip to third-party countries by coordinating travel through Israeli territory to the Port of Ashdod and Ramon Airport.
The 1,000 recent emigrants are in addition to 35,000 others who are estimated to have permanently left the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, according to Channel 12, which did not provide a source for this figure.
According to current regulations, Gazans requiring medical treatment along with their family members and those with dual citizenship or destination visas are allowed to leave Gaza.
Israel has expanded permission to allow more than one family member to leave with those seeking medical attention.
According to Defense Minister Israel Katz’s directives, the military will accompany those leaving the Strip for their safety.
When Gazans plan to emigratee, they leave their homes and go to an assembly point, where they are inspected before heading to the Kerem Shalom crossing and then to Rafah or Ramon airport.
Although those leaving Gaza may not be allowed to return, given the dire security situation, many nevertheless are still willing to go and establish a new life for themselves and their families in another country.
A British Telegraph survey shows that 52% of Gaza residents would leave the Gaza Strip either temporarily or permanently if given the opportunity.
The Gallup survey, which includes 532 Gaza residents aged 18 and older in March, found a divided population.
Residents under the age of 34 and those living in the most heavily damaged areas of Gaza City and Khan Younis expressed the keenest desire to leave.
In other news, World Israel News reported on Monday that a female desert lynx that attacked IDF soldiers close to the Egyptian border has become a “hero” among many Arabs on social media.
The lynx, or caracal, is now being praised as a Palestinian symbol. AI-generated images depict the lynx wearing a keffiyeh, a Hamas headband, or stepping on an Israeli flag.
The incident occurred last Wednesday. The animal was transferred to a wildlife hospital at the Safari at Ramat Gan after biting several soldiers.
Ahmed Wahid, a wildlife photographer, speculated that although caracals seldom attack humans, the soldiers might have done something to cause her to believe they were a threat to her offspring, which likely prompted the attack.
However, anti-Israel voices on social media celebrated the incident as if the caracal intended to attack Israeli soldiers. Videos, images, articles, and posts praise the desert lynx for fighting against “occupation forces.”
Some likened the lynx to Egyptian border guard Mohamed Salah, who killed Israeli soldiers in June 2023.
On social media, posters made comments such as, “Thank you, Egyptian caracal,” “Even our animals know you (Israel) are the enemy,” and “Even nature rejects your existence.”
