UN organization criticizes Israel over ‘inhumane’ strategy
(MENAFN) The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has condemned Israel’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s entire population into a sealed, military-controlled “humanitarian city,” calling the plan “inhumane” and warning it would amount to forced displacement on a massive scale.
The proposal, revealed by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday, involves creating a walled-off camp in southern Gaza on the site of the destroyed city of Rafah. Katz said the camp would initially house 600,000 Palestinians displaced by the conflict and eventually accommodate Gaza’s full population of over 2 million.
Katz explained that residents would be screened to exclude Hamas members and would not be allowed to leave. Over time, the inhabitants might be permitted to “voluntarily emigrate” to other countries. He framed the plan as a way to give the Israeli military greater freedom to operate against Hamas in other parts of Gaza.
While Katz stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would initially manage the area, he suggested international organizations might take over later, though he did not name any specific groups.
An Israeli source told Haaretz that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports the plan. Regarding providing comforts to the confined Gazans, Netanyahu reportedly said, “Give them Ben & Jerry’s, for all I care.”
UNRWA’s communications director, Tamara Alrifai, called the plan “nothing humanitarian” and said confining hundreds of thousands behind fences and military checkpoints is an insult to humanity. She warned that the plan would turn Gaza—already described as an “open-air prison”—into the most densely populated and controlled camp in the world.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the plan as creating a “massively overcrowded camp” and stressed that the only real solution is a lasting ceasefire, the release of hostages, unrestricted humanitarian aid, and renewed efforts toward a two-state solution.
Human rights experts and observers have also criticized the plan, some likening the enclosed area to a concentration camp and accusing Israel of orchestrating mass displacement of Palestinians.
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023 after a deadly Hamas attack. Since then, the IDF has reportedly killed nearly 57,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, leading to allegations of genocide against Israeli leaders.
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