Katz proposes 'concentration camp' on Rafah's ruins for Gaza's Palestinians

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has said he has instructed the Israeli army to forcibly confine Gaza’s Palestinians to a camp built on the ruins of Rafah, amid sharp condemnation from experts and activists.

Mark Seddon, a former UN correspondent and academic, and Palestinian human rights activist Ihab Hassan, likened the move to building a concentration camp for Palestinians in the war-battered territory.

This is the latest idea floated by ministers in Israel's far-right government to forcibly displace the Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza, amid continued speculation about a possible expulsion of Gaza's residents to other countries.

Katz proposed the idea that some 600,000 Palestinians living or displaced to the al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip would be transported to what he called a "humanitarian city," from which they wouldn’t be "allowed to leave".

Before entry to the camp, Palestinians would be forced to undergo "screenings" to ensure they are not "Hamas operatives," he said, as reported by Haaretz on Monday.

Katz, a proponent of the war in Gaza who has threatened to annex parts of the war-battered territory, said the construction plan would begin in parallel with an expected 60-day ceasefire in Gaza – following recent talks held by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The defence minister said he seeks to eventually place all of Gaza’s two million Palestinians in this camp which the Israeli military will "secure from a distance" – essentially subjecting Palestinians to further Israeli control and occupation despite the implementation of a potential ceasefire.

Katz also suggested that several international bodies would "manage the area", without specifying which ones or how they would agree to such.

He added that four aid distribution sites would be established, despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – whose aid distribution points have been described as "death traps" after more than 600 Palestinians have been shot dead since 27 May.

'Crime against humanity'

Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, called Katz’s proposal "a well-organised plan for a crime against humanity".

In a series of posts on X, Sfard also pointed to the contradictory nature of the new plans, as Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir had previously claimed that "moving the Palestinian population" was not part of their military operation, and that the Israeli army said it was not planning to "move Palestinians inside or outside of the Strip".

In the UK, Ellie Chowns, the MP for North Herefordshire, said on Tuesday she was "horrified" by the plan to force the Gaza Strip's entire population into effectively "an internment camp in Rafah".

"The UK must use every diplomatic, legal, and economical tool to stop this atrocity, uphold international law and protect Palestinian rights," she stressed.

This came as Netanyahu said he was "close" to finding several countries to take in Palestinians he claimed would "voluntarily migrate" from the enclave.

Netanyahu echoed Trump’s sentiment from earlier this year where he proposed to "take over" the territory and expel its Palestinian residents from there, during a press session with reporters during his US visit.

"I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It’s called free choice. If people want to stay, they can stay; but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," he told reporters.

"We’re working with the United States very closely [to] find countries that will… give the Palestinians a better future," he added.

The Israeli government immediately went on board with Trump’s "Riviera of the Middle East" plan for Gaza, which drew widespread condemnation worldwide, after it was interpreted as a means to push Palestinians away from Gaza and change the territory's demographic make-up.

In response to Netanyahu's comments, Trump said the US was "also working to find countries" that would take in Palestinians.

Al-Qassam Brigades ambush Israeli soldiers in Beit Hanoun

On Monday, Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades ambushed an Israeli military site in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, killing at least five soldiers and wounding 14 more.

Four of the soldiers served in the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, which has been accused of human rights violations against Palestinians, including killing unarmed civilians and torture of detainees.

According to the Israeli army probe, the soldiers were targeted by two roadside bombs around 10 pm local time during ground operations in Beit Hanoun. They were not inside a vehicle at the time of the incident.

Abu Obeida, the spokesperson of the al-Qassam Brigades, said of the attack: "The complex Beit Hanoun operation is an additional blow dealt by our fierce fighters to the prestige of the weak occupation army and its most criminal units in an area [they] thought was safe after leaving no stone unturned." 

He added: "The battle of attrition that our fighters are waging with the enemy from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip will inflict additional losses on it every day. Even if it miraculously succeeded recently in freeing its soldiers from hell, it may fail later, leaving us with additional prisoners."

In another statement, Abu Obeida said: "The steadfastness of our people and the bravery of the resistance fighters are the only ones who will determine the equations and shape the future of [Gaza's] situation. The most foolish decision that Netanyahu could make would be to keep his forces inside the Gaza Strip."

The ambush allowed members of Hamas’ armed wing to shoot at Israeli soldiers, after the explosion of the two devices. The ambush was described as one of the most impactful attacks on Israeli soldiers since the start of the war.

Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip has now entered its twenty-second month, killing well over 57,500 Palestinians since 7 October, 2023.

Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip have been described as genocide by UN experts, NGOs and global leaders.

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