The U.S. ambassador to Israel said Saturday there was no plan to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza, seeking to draw a distinction between voluntary departure and proposals by Israeli far-right ministers to relocate the territory's roughly 2 million residents.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee made the comments during a visit to Palestinian-American families in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where he also called on Israel to protect Palestinian residents from settler violence.

"I can tell you categorically there is no plan of the Israelis to displace people out of Gaza against their will,” Huckabee told reporters.

His remarks came after two senior Israeli ministers publicly discussed plans that would involve Palestinians leaving Gaza.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Thursday that he wanted to see about 250,000 Palestinians leave Gaza during the first year, followed by the departure of the rest of the population over the next six years.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said a day earlier that Israel was prepared to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from Gaza by sea and land, but was waiting for the United States as discussions continued over where those Palestinians could go.

Katz also claimed, without providing evidence, that about 80% of Gaza's residents wanted to leave but were being prevented from doing so by Hamas.

Huckabee said the administration of President Donald Trump supports Palestinians having the option to leave Gaza if they choose, but rejected any suggestion that they should be forced out.

"There is an open-mindedness if people wish to leave, that they should have the right to leave,” Huckabee said, describing it as a "disgrace” to "incarcerate” Palestinians inside Gaza.

"Nobody is suggesting there would be forced displacement,” he added. "The Israelis are not, the Americans are not. I know of no one who supports that.”

Under international humanitarian law, the forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is prohibited and can constitute a war crime.

The issue is particularly sensitive after Israel's military campaign in Gaza, launched following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, displaced virtually the entire population at least once, according to international organizations.

Trump himself caused international alarm earlier in his second term when he proposed relocating Palestinians from Gaza and redeveloping the devastated coastal territory as a luxury resort. The proposal drew widespread opposition, including from Arab governments such as Egypt, which borders Gaza, before the administration softened its position.

Huckabee confronts settler violence

Huckabee's comments on Gaza came during a visit to Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian town in the West Bank where a large share of the roughly 4,000 residents hold U.S. citizenship.

The ambassador visited the home of Samir Hazmeh, a Palestinian-American whose property has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli settlers. Huckabee said he wanted to hear the community's "legitimate grievances” and stressed that Israel has a responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians.

"One of the messages that we have been sending and we will continue to send is that people in these communities have a right to live with a level of security and safety, and that the government has a responsibility to make sure that that happens,” he said.

As Huckabee met with residents inside Hazmeh's home, a settler from a nearby outpost approached the area on a quad bike.

Israel has controlled the West Bank since capturing the territory in the 1967 Mideast war. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has persisted for decades, while rights groups and Palestinian residents have frequently accused Israeli authorities of failing to hold perpetrators accountable.

Huckabee stopped short of directly criticizing the Israeli government but said Washington expected those responsible for attacks to face punishment.

"Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror,” he said. "When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences.”

Huckabee said confronting settler violence was also in Israel's interest because the actions of a relatively small number of extremists risk damaging the country's international reputation.

"Their reputation does not do well when it appears that this tiny little group of marauders are somehow representative of the larger population,” he said. "I don't believe that it is.”

"There may be a few hundred who are responsible, but that's a few hundred too many,” he added.

Palestinian families seek protection

Huckabee spent about two hours meeting Palestinian-American residents at Hazmeh's home before joining them for a traditional meal of maqluba, a rice and meat dish prepared by cooking the ingredients in a pot and then flipping it upside down before serving.

Hazmeh said settlers had smashed the home's windows twice, attempted to force open its gates and tried to set the property on fire. He said he installed barbed wire around the house and displayed an American flag in hopes that it would offer some protection.

Yasser Alqam, another Palestinian-American who met with Huckabee, said he owns land about 100 meters away but has been unable to return after repeated attacks by settlers.

Alqam said he believes the United States has enough leverage to pressure Israel to arrest settlers known to authorities.

"The United States already has the ability to put pressure on Israel to at least arrest those settlers who are known to the authorities,” he said.

He also expressed surprise that Trump had lifted sanctions imposed by the previous administration of President Joe Biden on Israeli settlers accused of extremist violence.

Alqam's wife, Jinan, told Huckabee she hoped the U.S. ambassador could help protect Palestinian families trying to reach their land to harvest olives.

She said she wanted his help so residents could "reach our land and pick the olives” during the upcoming harvest.

Settlements remain a flashpoint

The visit came as Netanyahu's government has accelerated approvals for new Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, a position rejected by Israel.

More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside roughly 3 million Palestinians.

The issue has become increasingly contentious as Netanyahu has relied on far-right political figures in his governing coalition, including ministers who have openly advocated policies that could lead to the removal of Palestinians.

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor and former Arkansas governor who has long been a strong supporter of Israel and its settler movement, invoked his religious beliefs when discussing attacks against Palestinians.

"I think the Scripture is pretty clear,” he said. "Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, and thou shalt not even covet.”

His comments also follow a rare public confrontation over settler actions last month, when Huckabee intervened after settler extremists blocked basic supplies from reaching another Palestinian-American resident in the West Bank town of Qusra. Netanyahu subsequently condemned the settlers involved.