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.