An Israeli official has said that the country is willing to pay for inhabitants of Gaza who wish to leave permanently to fly out via Israel.

Speaking during Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Ukraine, the official said that Israel would organise shuttles from the Gaza Strip to an airport, from which the Israeli government would pay for Gazans to travel.

Despite already reaching out to other countries – including some in Europe and the Middle East – no country had yet to agree to accept the would-be emigrants, Israeli press reported 

Last year 35,000 Palestinians emigrated from Gaza via Egypt. Haaretz stated at the time that most were relatively well-off and that 150 were doctors, despite Hamas reportedly blocking doctors from leaving.

Most of those leaving flew to Turkey, where they werr put on ships bound for Greece and onward travel to Europe.