Overview

• Israel offered to shrink its southern Gaza buffer from three kilometers to two kilometers, signaling a deeper troop withdrawal than previously on the table.
• The plan envisions a “humanitarian city” on the ruins of Rafah to house 600,000 people initially with room for Gaza’s entire two-million population.
• Hamas insists on a full pullback to pre-March ceasefire positions and denounces the camp demand as an intentional barrier to agreement.
• Indirect talks in Doha have remained deadlocked over the scope of Israeli troop withdrawals and the terms governing the Rafah zone.
• Opposition figures including Yair Lapid and UN Secretary-General António Guterres warn the proposed camp risks forced displacement and undermines civilian dignity.