Israel will 'coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian refugees', foreign minister says

Israel will coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian refugees, the country's foreign minister said amid mounting concern that an Israeli offensive on Rafah will lead to forced displacement of Palestinians.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Israel Katz said Israel will find ways not to harm Egypt's interests but insisted that it has to deal with Rafah because it "can't just leave Hamas there".

"We have no intention to deport any Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip," he said.

When asked where refugees in Rafah would go, he suggested Gaza's second city Khan Yunis.

On Lebanon, the minister said that Israel will be forced to remove Hezbollah from the border if efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to ease tensions fail.

"The world must pressure Iran and Hezbollah to withdraw from south Lebanon and implement UN resolution 1701," Katz said. 

Reporting by Reuters