Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s comments about building a camp on the ruins of Rafah to concentrate the entire civilian population of Gaza are “hindering” ceasefire negotiations since Hamas is strongly against the idea, Israeli media reported on Tuesday, citing Palestinian sources.
Katz said on Monday that he ordered the IDF to prepare a plan to establish a concentration camp, which he is calling a “humanitarian city.” He said the construction could begin during a potential 60-day ceasefire if a deal is reached with Hamas, which implies Israel would restart its military operations after the truce, and one of Hamas’s main demands is for a permanent ceasefire.
The report from Israel’s Kan public broadcaster said there has been other progress in the ceasefire negotiations, including the issue of aid deliveries during the ceasefire. President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a second day on Tuesday to discuss the idea of a Gaza deal, but it remains unclear if he’s willing to put enough pressure on the Israeli leader to get an agreement.
Haaretz reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu supports Katz’s plan for a concentration camp in Rafah and that he hasn’t ruled out the idea of Israel running it. Katz had suggested that “international partners” could manage the camp from the inside while the IDF controls security on the outside to prevent Palestinians from leaving.
“The prime minister thinks that in the short term, we should not be afraid to do the job,” an Israeli official told Haaretz.
Israeli officials have made clear that the camp would also serve Israel’s goal of ethnic cleansing, which they frame as voluntary migration. The official speaking to Haaretz said that once Israel “eliminates” Hamas from northern Gaza, “the plan is for residents to be concentrated in the south of Gaza, and if they wish, they will be able to emigrate.”
Trump and Netanyahu discussed the idea of the “relocation” of Palestinians in Gaza with reporters at the White House on Monday and hinted that regional countries may be willing to take them in. Another source told Haaretz: “There are countries that have expressed interest, but it hasn’t matured yet. Israel is working on this issue.”
The Haaretz report said Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs met with US officials before Netanyahu’s visit and said that Israel had two demands, including to keep the “issue of transferring Gazans from the Strip” on the agenda. The other demand was for the US not to pressure Israel to back down on demanding the exile of senior Hamas leaders and disarmament of the group as necessary conditions for a long-term ceasefire. Israeli officials got the sense that the US officials accepted Dermer’s demands, which was indirectly confirmed by Trump and Netanyahu discussing the “relocation” plan.
