Israeli Defense Minister Proposes Displacing Gaza Population to Southern Camp

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced plans to move Gaza's population to a refugee camp in Rafah as part of efforts to secure the area amid ongoing hostilities. Human rights advocates and international bodies criticize the proposal as a potential breach of humanitarian law.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has recently revealed intentions to relocate the population of Gaza into a designated camp in Rafah, as reported by various Israeli media outlets. The military is reportedly being mobilized to create what Katz termed a "humanitarian city," initially aimed at accommodating around 600,000 Palestinians, with a long-term vision to house the entire 2.1 million citizens of Gaza.

Katz mentioned that the move is intended to ensure security, as individuals would be screened to determine if they have affiliations with Hamas, emphasizing that they wouldn't be allowed to exit the camp. He noted that construction might commence during a potential 60-day ceasefire being negotiated between Israel and Hamas.

The proposal has sparked outrage among human rights organizations. Notably, Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard labeled it “an operational plan for a crime against humanity,” criticizing it as a strategy for population transfer that could lead to deportations beyond Gaza's borders.

International regulations, including those set out by the United Nations, have previously flagged the forcible transfer of a civilian population from occupied territories as a violation of humanitarian laws, equating it to ethnic cleansing. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas have yet to respond to the recent announcements.

During a separate meeting at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a post-war plan for Gaza proposed by former President Donald Trump, suggesting that while residents could choose to stay, they should also have the option to leave if they wish. Netanyahu remarked on the cooperative efforts with the U.S. to identify countries willing to support the downsizing of the Palestinian population in Gaza.

In March, a $53 billion reconstruction proposal backed by Arab states offered an alternative that would allow Gazans to remain in their homes, explicitly rejecting the idea of displacement. Palestinian officials have echoed similar sentiments, denouncing any displacement as an affront to international law.

As conflict continues and tensions escalate, many fear a repetition of the Nakba, which witnessed the forced exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with the establishment of Israel in 1948. Currently, over 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged amid the ongoing military campaign, which was initiated following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Since that time, the humanitarian situation has dramatically worsened, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting over 57,500 fatalities in Gaza alone.