Israel wants to build a camp for 600,000 people in the southern part of Gaza - a "humanitarian city", as Defense Minister Katz calls it. Many Palestinians, however, see this as preparation for their final displacement.
Since the start of the war in Gaza 21 months ago, the Palestinians have constantly moved them around the narrow coastal strip – from one humanitarian zone to another. However, these zones often turn out to be death traps, ARD writes.
The latest idea, presented by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, envisages the construction of the so-called. "a humanitarian city" - as he calls it. It is a tent camp on the ruins of Rafah, in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of people will be accommodated, the German public media explains.
Israeli military journalist Itai Blumenthal commented: "The aim is to create a spatial separation between the population of the Gaza Strip and the Hamas terrorists who are among the population. 600,000 people are to be accommodated in this city and whoever settles there will no longer be able to return."
A kind of transitional camp
If the planned 60-day ceasefire, which is currently being negotiated, is implemented in the coming days, Israel plans to begin building the camp. This will be a kind of transitional camp, with the aim of accommodating as many Palestinians as possible, explains ARD.
Just a few days ago, the defense minister admitted: "When people are in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, in the Al-Masawi area, they will no longer be able to return from there. This in turn will give grounds for them to be evacuated from Gaza - which is what the majority wants."
But this is precisely what is controversial, the German public media outlet points out. In recent weeks, very few Palestinians have left the Gaza Strip voluntarily. Added to this is the fact that neighboring countries are not ready to accept large numbers of Palestinians on their territory.
"I will not leave Gaza"
In front of the “Reuters“ Abu Samir Al-Faqi, a refugee from Gaza, says he will stay in Gaza. “I will not leave Gaza – it is our homeland. Should we just give it up and leave? Our children are here, our dead are buried here. Who are we going to leave our country to – a gang of criminals? We will stay on this land, no matter what Trump, Netanyahu and everyone else say.”
During his visit to the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly talked about resettling people from Gaza. Unlike his far-right coalition partners, who support forced resettlement, Netanyahu insists on voluntary resettlement.
“Hamas must lay down its arms. Gaza will be completely demilitarized and we will implement Trump’s plan. It is correct, revolutionary and includes something elementary: Gazans who want to leave the strip will be able to do so.“
It will be neither a “humanitarian“ nor a “city“
However, Amos Goldberg, a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told the British newspaper “The Guardian“ that this is neither a humanitarian camp nor a city. According to Goldberg, Defense Minister Katz has clear plans for the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip and the construction of a transitional camp for Palestinians before they are finally expelled.
Representatives of humanitarian organizations such as “Caritas“ also criticize the Israeli government's plans: against the backdrop of the fact that two million people are in a dramatic humanitarian situation, the concept of a "humanitarian city" is cynical, inhumane and far from reality, they say.