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Israel Orders Plan for Fortified ‘Humanitarian City’ in Rafah

The proposed settlement is timed to begin under a prospective 60-day ceasefire that includes hostage exchange negotiations with Hamas.

Palestinos desplazados se agolpan frente a un comedor social al sur de la Franja de Gaza.
A Palestinian carries children as wounded Palestinians receive treatment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, after an Israeli airstrike on a house, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
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Grupos de desplazados palestinos transportan sus enseres en Rafah

Overview

  • Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to draft plans for a fortified “humanitarian city” in Rafah to initially house about 600,000 displaced Palestinians and eventually concentrate nearly two million residents.
  • Entry would require security screening to exclude suspected Hamas members, and residents would face a strict ban on departures once inside.
  • The Israeli military would secure the perimeter while international organizations oversee aid distribution, although the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied any role in the project.
  • Katz linked the initiative to ongoing discussions over a 60-day truce and hostage swap framework being negotiated by Israel, Hamas and the United States.
  • International legal experts warn that forced mass relocation and confinement of Gaza’s population could constitute crimes against humanity under international law.