Tony Blair 'denies reports he will lead Gaza evacuation initiative'

The office of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has denied claims that he will lead an initiative to facilitate the evacuation of Gaza residents with possible host countries, initially reported by Israel's Channel 12.

Blair recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and war cabinet member Benny Gantz.

Israeli journalist Barak Ravid quoted a spokesperson for Blair as saying, "Reports that Mr. Blair is involved in the voluntary evacuation of Gazans are simply not true. There has been no such discussion, nor would he consider it."

A spokesperson for Tony Blair: "Reports that Mr Blair has anything to do with the voluntary evacuation of Gazans is simply not true, there has been no such discussion nor would he consider it"

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) December 31, 2023

Israel is currently ruled by the most extreme-right government in its history, and ministers have made public comments in support of expelling Gaza's inhabitants.

Over the weekend, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he would like to see Gaza's residents expelled, with Israeli settlers returning to the territory.

Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes, seeking refuge in the south of the territory.

UNRWA reports that 1.4 million of these individuals are currently sheltering in its facilities. 

The Wall Street Journal has reported that 70 percent of homes in Gaza and half of the enclave's buildings have been damaged or destroyed in Israeli airstrikes.

Israel has so far killed close to 22,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured more than 56,000, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Health officials in Gaza expect that the actual number of fatalities is higher than the figures reported by the Ministry of Health, with many bodies trapped under rubble.