Latest news with #displacedPalestinians
Al Jazeera
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israel presses ahead with Gaza ‘concentration camp' plans despite criticism
Israel is ploughing ahead with a plan to build what critics have described as a 'concentration camp' for Palestinians on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza, in the face of a growing backlash at home and abroad. The suggestion, first mooted by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz earlier this month, anticipates an area that could accommodate an initial group of some 600,000 already displaced Palestinians in Gaza, which would then be expanded to accommodate all of the enclave's pre-war population of some 2.2 million people. It would be run by international forces and have no Hamas presence. Once inside Katz's self-styled 'humanitarian city', Palestinians would not be allowed to leave to other areas in Gaza, but would instead be encouraged to 'voluntarily emigrate' to other unspecified countries, the minister said. Katz's plan has already received significant criticism. Labelled a 'concentration camp' by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and illegal by Israeli lawyers, it has even been criticised by the military that will be responsible for implementing it, with the military's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, reportedly calling it 'unworkable' with 'more holes in it than cheese'. Internationally, a British minister said he was 'appalled' by the plan, while Austria and Germany's foreign ministers expressed their 'concern'. The United Nations said it was 'firmly against' the idea. But members of the Israeli government have defended the idea, and leaks continue to emerge in the Israeli media over the debate surrounding it within the government – with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asking only for a plan that was speedier and less costly than a plan presented by the Israeli army. An Al Jazeera investigation has found that Israel has recently increased the number of demolitions it is conducting in Rafah, possibly paving the way for the 'humanitarian city'. Long planned Depopulating Gaza has long been an ambition of some of Israel's more hardline settler groups, who believe themselves to have a divine mandate to occupy the Palestinian territory. The Israeli far-right was encouraged to press ahead with the idea when United States President Donald Trump suggested in February that Palestinians in Gaza could be displaced and moved elsewhere. Since then, both Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have backed calls for displacement. When Netanyahu announced in May the creation of the controversial US-backed GHF, a body intended to deliver limited aid into the enclave his forces had been besieging since early March, Netanyahu referred to a future 'sterile zone' that Gaza's population would be moved into, where they would be allowed aid and food. Later the same month, Smotrich, who has criticised the current plan as too costly but is not opposed to the idea in principle, also suggested that plans were under way to push Gaza's population into a camp. Addressing a 'settlement conference' in the occupied West Bank, Smotrich told his audience that what remained of Gaza would be 'totally destroyed' and its population pressed into a 'humanitarian zone' close to the Egyptian border, foreshadowing the language used by Katz. Part of the Israeli plan Israeli political analyst Nimrod Flashenberg told Al Jazeera that – for the Israeli government – there was merit to the plan, both from a security perspective, and 'from the perspective of ethnically cleansing' Gaza, and providing an end goal that Israel's leaders could define as a success. 'As I understand it, parts of the military regard removing civilians from the [non-Israeli controlled parts] of Gaza and concentrating them in a single space as an ideal first step in locating and eliminating Hamas,' Flashenberg said of the Palestinian group that Israel has failed to eliminate in 21 months of conflict, despite the killing of more than 58,000 people. Flashenberg added that the plan would effectively create an 'ethnic cleansing terminal', from which, once people were separated from their original homes, 'it makes it easier to move them elsewhere'. 'Of course it complicates ceasefire negotiations, but so what?' Flashenberg said, referring to the ongoing talks aimed at bringing about an initial 60-day ceasefire. 'Nothing has really changed. It's possible, of course, that with work on the concentration camp under way, Hamas might still accept the ceasefire and hope that things might change.' 'It's part of their entire mentality,' Aida Touma-Suleiman, a member of the Israeli parliament representing the Hadash-Ta'al party, said. 'They really do believe that they can do anything: that they can move all of these people around as if they're not even humans. Even if imprisoning just the first 600,000 people suggested by Katz is inconceivable. How can you do that without it leading to some kind of massacre?' 'That they're even talking about criminal acts without every state in the world condemning them is dangerous,' she added. But lawyers in Israel have questioned the legality of the move. Military lawyers are reported to have 'raised concerns' that Israel might face accusations of forced displacement, and an open letter from a number of Israeli legal scholars is more explicit, slamming the proposal as 'manifestly illegal'. 'Nothing humanitarian' According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people, about 90 percent of Gaza's pre-war population, have been displaced as a result of Israeli attacks. Many have been displaced multiple times. Earlier this month, Amnesty concluded that, despite the militarised delivery of limited aid into the strip, Israel is continuing to use starvation as a weapon of war. According to the rights agency, the malnutrition and starvation of children and families across Gaza remain widespread, with the healthcare system that might typically care for them pushed to breaking point by Israel. 'Humanitarian city? I despise all these euphemisms. There's nothing humanitarian about this. It's utterly inhumane,' Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, said. 'There would be nothing humanitarian about the conditions that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be pushed into or about the idea you can only leave by going to another country.' 'This has to be condemned and there has to be consequences,' he continued. 'It's not true when people say there's no international community any more. If you trade with Israel, cooperate militarily or diplomatically with it, you have leverage. The US has leverage, the EU [European Union] has leverage. All these actors do.' 'By shrugging your shoulders and saying it's just anarchy,' he concluded, 'you're handing the keys to Smotrich, Katz and Netanyahu and saying there's nothing you can do.'
Al Jazeera
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Critics slams Israel's plans for ‘concentration zone' in Gaza's Rafah
Critics slams Israel's plans for 'concentration zone' in Gaza's Rafah NewsFeed Displaced Palestinians and several Israeli politicians alike slam the Israeli government's plans for what it calls a 'humanitarian city' in Rafah. Critics say forcing Palestinians into the zone would amount to a 'concentration camp.' Video Duration 01 minutes 10 seconds 01:10 Video Duration 01 minutes 34 seconds 01:34 Video Duration 00 minutes 47 seconds 00:47 Video Duration 03 minutes 10 seconds 03:10 Video Duration 00 minutes 39 seconds 00:39 Video Duration 02 minutes 42 seconds 02:42 Video Duration 02 minutes 30 seconds 02:30
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Israel plans to hold Gazan population in ‘humanitarian city' on ruins of Rafah, Israeli media reports
By Dana Karni, Mostafa Salem and Oren Liebermann , CNN Displaced Palestinians carry the humanitarian aid they have received from a United Nations distribution point in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on May 27, 2025. Photo: AFP/SAEED JARAS Israel's defence minister said he told the military to advance plans for what he called a "humanitarian city" built on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza, according to reports in Israeli media. In a briefing to reporters on Monday (local time), Israel Katz said the zone would initially house some 600,000 displaced Palestinians who have been forced to evacuate to the Al-Mawasi area along the coast of southern Gaza, multiple outlets who attended in the briefing reported. Palestinians who enter the zone will go through a screening to check that they are not members of Hamas. They will not be allowed to leave, Katz said, according to Israeli media. Eventually, the defence minister said the entire population of Gaza - more than 2 million Palestinians - will be held in the zone. Katz then vowed that Israel would implement a plan, first floated by US President Donald Trump, to allow Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza to other countries. A Palestinian child looks on as smoke billows in the distance during Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on 11 June 2025. Photo: AFP Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have eagerly supported the emigration plan, despite no country publicly expressing any willingness to take part. At a White House dinner with Trump on Monday, Netanyahu said, "We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always said, that they want to give the Palestinians a better future, and I think we're getting close to finding several countries." Katz said the zone for displaced Palestinians will be run by international bodies, not the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Israeli media reported. The IDF would secure the zone from a distance, Katz said, in a plan that appears to imitate the aid distribution mechanism of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). GHF operates the distribution sites, but the IDF surrounds them militarily. It's unclear what bodies would agree to participate in Katz's plan, especially since most international organisations refuse to take part in GHF's distribution sites due to serious concerns about impartiality and the safety of the Palestinian population. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to approach the distribution sites since they began operating a month ago, according to health officials in Gaza and the United Nations. A spokesperson for Katz has not responded to repeated requests for comment. Asked about the plan at a press conference on Tuesday evening, IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said the military "will present several options to the political echelon". "Every option has its implications. We will act according to the directives of the political echelon," Defrin added. On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK opposes the new plan, just as it opposed GHF. "I'm surprised at the statements that I've seen from Mr Katz over the last 24 hours," Lammy told a parliamentary committee. "They run contra to the proximity to a ceasefire that I thought we were heading towards." Lammy added that he does not recognise the plan "as a serious context in which the people of Gaza can get the aid and support that they need at this time". In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas said that Israel's "persistent efforts to forcibly displace our people and impose ethnic cleansing have met with legendary resilience. Our people have stood firm in the face of killing, hunger, and bombardment, rejecting any future dictated from intelligence headquarters or political bargaining tables". Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, said Katz's plan amounts to the forcible transfer of a population in preparation for deportation. Both of these are war crimes, Sfard told CNN. "If they are done on a massive scale - whole communities - they can amount to war crimes," Sfard said, dismissing the notion that any departure from Gaza could be considered voluntary. "There is no consensual departure. There is no voluntary departure. People will flee from Gaza because Israel is mounting on them coercive measures that would make their life in Gaza impossible," he said. "Under international law, you don't have to load people on trucks at gunpoint in order to commit the crime of deportation." A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, considered one of the key countries in any plan for post-war Gaza, said removing Palestinians from the enclave would be unacceptable. "The UAE has publicly and categorically rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians…our public position and our private position is that we reject the forced dislocation of any Palestinians from the territory now to rebuild Gaza," Lana Nusseibeh told CNN. Qatar, which is now hosting proximity talks between Israel and Hamas, also rejected the deportation of Gaza's population. "We have said very clearly we are against any forced relocation of Palestinians, or any relocation of Palestinians outside their land," Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday. -CNN
CNN
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Israel's defense minister plans to hold Gazan population in ‘humanitarian city' on ruins of Rafah, Israeli media reports
Israel's defense minister said he told the military to advance plans for what he called a 'humanitarian city' built on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza, according to reports in Israeli media. In a briefing to reporters Monday, Israel Katz said the zone would initially house some 600,000 displaced Palestinians who have been forced to evacuate to the Al-Mawasi area along the coast of southern Gaza, multiple outlets who attended in the briefing reported. Palestinians who enter the zone will go through a screening to check that they are not members of Hamas. They will not be allowed to leave, Katz said, according to Israeli media. Eventually, the defense minister said the entire population of Gaza – more than 2 million Palestinians – will be held in the zone. Katz then vowed that Israel would implement a plan, first floated by US President Donald Trump, to allow Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza to other countries. Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have eagerly supported the emigration plan, despite no country publicly expressing any willingness to take part. At a White House dinner with Trump Monday, Netanyahu said, 'We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always said, that they want to give the Palestinians a better future, and I think we're getting close to finding several countries.' Katz said the zone for displaced Palestinians will be run by international bodies, not the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israeli media reported. The IDF would secure the zone from a distance, Katz said, in a plan that appears to imitate the aid distribution mechanism of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). GHF operates the distribution sites, but the IDF surrounds them militarily. It's unclear what bodies would agree to participate in Katz's plan, especially since most international organizations refuse to take part in GHF's distribution sites due to serious concerns about impartiality and the safety of the Palestinian population. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to approach the distribution sites since they began operating a month ago, according to health officials in Gaza and the United Nations. A spokesman for Katz has not responded to repeated requests for comment. Asked about the plan at a press conference on Tuesday evening, IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military 'will present several options to the political echelon.' 'Every option has its implications. We will act according to the directives of the political echelon,' Defrin added. On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK opposes the new plan, just as it opposed GHF. 'I'm surprised at the statements that I've seen from Mr. Katz over the last 24 hours,' Lammy told a parliamentary committee. 'They run contra to the proximity to a ceasefire that I thought we were heading towards.' Lammy added that he does not recognize the plan 'as a serious context in which the people of Gaza can get the aid and support that they need at this time.' In a statement Tuesday, Hamas said that Israel's 'persistent efforts to forcibly displace our people and impose ethnic cleansing have met with legendary resilience. Our people have stood firm in the face of killing, hunger, and bombardment, rejecting any future dictated from intelligence headquarters or political bargaining tables.' Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, said Katz's plan amounts to the forcible transfer of a population in preparation for deportation. Both of these are war crimes, Sfard told CNN. 'If they are done on a massive scale – whole communities – they can amount to war crimes,' Sfard said, dismissing the notion that any departure from Gaza could be considered voluntary. 'There is no consensual departure. There is no voluntary departure. People will flee from Gaza because Israel is mounting on them coercive measures that would make their life in Gaza impossible,' he said. 'Under international law, you don't have to load people on trucks at gunpoint in order to commit the crime of deportation.' A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, considered one of the key countries in any plan for post-war Gaza, said removing Palestinians from the enclave would be unacceptable. 'The UAE has publicly and categorically rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians…our public position and our private position is that we reject the forced dislocation of any Palestinians from the territory now to rebuild Gaza,' Lana Nusseibeh told CNN. Qatar, which is now hosting proximity talks between Israel and Hamas, also rejected the deportation of Gaza's population. 'We have said very clearly we are against any forced relocation of Palestinians, or any relocation of Palestinians outside their land,' Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday.
CNN
08-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Israel's defense minister plans to hold Gazan population in ‘humanitarian city' on ruins of Rafah, Israeli media reports
Israel's defense minister said he told the military to advance plans for what he called a 'humanitarian city' built on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza, according to reports in Israeli media. In a briefing to reporters Monday, Israel Katz said the zone would initially house some 600,000 displaced Palestinians who have been forced to evacuate to the Al-Mawasi area along the coast of southern Gaza, multiple outlets who attended in the briefing reported. Palestinians who enter the zone will go through a screening to check that they are not members of Hamas. They will not be allowed to leave, Katz said, according to Israeli media. Eventually, the defense minister said the entire population of Gaza – more than 2 million Palestinians – will be held in the zone. Katz then vowed that Israel would implement a plan, first floated by US President Donald Trump, to allow Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza to other countries. Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have eagerly supported the emigration plan, despite no country publicly expressing any willingness to take part. At a White House dinner with Trump Monday, Netanyahu said, 'We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always said, that they want to give the Palestinians a better future, and I think we're getting close to finding several countries.' Katz said the zone for displaced Palestinians will be run by international bodies, not the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israeli media reported. The IDF would secure the zone from a distance, Katz said, in a plan that appears to imitate the aid distribution mechanism of the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). GHF operates the distribution sites, but the IDF surrounds them militarily. It's unclear what bodies would agree to participate in Katz's plan, especially since most international organizations refuse to take part in GHF's distribution sites due to serious concerns about impartiality and the safety of the Palestinian population. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to approach the distribution sites since they began operating a month ago, according to health officials in Gaza and the United Nations. A spokesman for Katz has not responded to repeated requests for comment. Asked about the plan at a press conference on Tuesday evening, IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military 'will present several options to the political echelon.' 'Every option has its implications. We will act according to the directives of the political echelon,' Defrin added. On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK opposes the new plan, just as it opposed GHF. 'I'm surprised at the statements that I've seen from Mr. Katz over the last 24 hours,' Lammy told a parliamentary committee. 'They run contra to the proximity to a ceasefire that I thought we were heading towards.' Lammy added that he does not recognize the plan 'as a serious context in which the people of Gaza can get the aid and support that they need at this time.' In a statement Tuesday, Hamas said that Israel's 'persistent efforts to forcibly displace our people and impose ethnic cleansing have met with legendary resilience. Our people have stood firm in the face of killing, hunger, and bombardment, rejecting any future dictated from intelligence headquarters or political bargaining tables.' Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, said Katz's plan amounts to the forcible transfer of a population in preparation for deportation. Both of these are war crimes, Sfard told CNN. 'If they are done on a massive scale – whole communities – they can amount to war crimes,' Sfard said, dismissing the notion that any departure from Gaza could be considered voluntary. 'There is no consensual departure. There is no voluntary departure. People will flee from Gaza because Israel is mounting on them coercive measures that would make their life in Gaza impossible,' he said. 'Under international law, you don't have to load people on trucks at gunpoint in order to commit the crime of deportation.' A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, considered one of the key countries in any plan for post-war Gaza, said removing Palestinians from the enclave would be unacceptable. 'The UAE has publicly and categorically rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians…our public position and our private position is that we reject the forced dislocation of any Palestinians from the territory now to rebuild Gaza,' Lana Nusseibeh told CNN. Qatar, which is now hosting proximity talks between Israel and Hamas, also rejected the deportation of Gaza's population. 'We have said very clearly we are against any forced relocation of Palestinians, or any relocation of Palestinians outside their land,' Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday.
