JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel is working to establish a "migration administration" to advance the relocation of Palestinian residents from the Gaza Strip, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday.

Smotrich, a far-right leader and a key partner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, made the remarks during a conference at the parliament, organized by the "Land of Israel Caucus," a pro-settler lobby group.

At the conference, Smotrich discussed U.S. President Donald Trump's "Gaza Riviera" plan, which includes a U.S. takeover of Gaza, the relocation of its residents, and its transformation into a Middle Eastern "Riviera." Although this controversial plan, proposed in early February, is met with wide criticism, Netanyahu and other Israeli ministers have expressed support for it.

"Preparations are underway to establish a migration authority within the Defense Ministry," Smotrich said.

"Just to give a sense of scale -- if we were to remove 10,000 people per day ... it would take (about) six months" to relocate Gaza's entire population, which is about 2 million, he added.

Smotrich noted there is "ongoing coordination with the U.S. administration to identify the countries" to which Gazans will migrate.

Trump's plan has been widely rejected by regional countries and beyond. To counter the idea, Arab leaders approved Tuesday an Egyptian-drafted Gaza reconstruction plan valued at 53 billion U.S. dollars, which aims to rebuild Gaza without displacing its people. Enditem

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