Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed US President Donald Trump’s widely criticised plan to move Palestinians out of the war-battered Gaza Strip, saying Israel is willing to do the job.

In a monitored broadcast, Netanyahu defended Trump’s proposal, which has sparked concern and condemnation across the Middle East and some parts of the world.

Israel seized the Gaza Strip in 1967 and maintained a military presence in the territory until 2005, when it pulled out settlers and its troops.

It subsequently imposed a crippling blockade on the Hamas-ruled territory and placed it under siege after the war began in October 2023.

Israel and armed groups in Gaza have fought several wars in recent years, but the latest, which was sparked by the unprecedented 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, has been the deadliest and most destructive.