Was it psychological pressure or a genuine invitation to leave the territory? In a series of posts published on September 14 and 17 in Arabic on his Facebook page, Israeli-Druze Major General Ghassan Alian, the coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) who oversees civilian life in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, claimed he was working to facilitate the departure of Gazans abroad − provided they could find a host country.

"We hear you and know that some of you want to leave the Gaza Strip. You tell us so in the comments and in private messages. We do not limit departures, and we will continue to coordinate additional exit operations," he wrote.

As the exodus from Gaza City continues – 450,000 Palestinians have fled the city southward since the end of August, according to the enclave's civil defense – Israel's military administration has added, in an apparent attempt to further encourage those hesitant to leave, that Hamas supporters themselves have asked for help departing the country. "Al-Munasseq" ("The Coordinator" in Arabic), COGAT's Facebook page, claimed that "a member of Gaza's municipal council, Anwar Atallah, fled with his family thanks to a mechanism managed by Israel that allows Gazans to travel through Jordan to a third country. He fled (...) because he realized that Gaza City was not safe for its residents." Why would the Israeli military have facilitated the departure of Attalah, whom it has presented as a Hamas supporter if not a member? On September 20, COGAT told Le Monde that "his departure was approved by the relevant security authorities," while also stating that requests from other members of the organization had been rejected.

You have 70.63% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.