Israel's Isn't Creating a 'Humanitarian City' in Gaza. It's Creating Transfer Camps
Opinion | Haaretz Editorial
Jul 9, 2025 1:03 am IDT
The Chosen People, the only democratic country in the Middle East by way of the world's most moral army, is now planning a "humanitarian city" in the Gaza Strip. It makes no difference what Orwellian cellophane they are wrapping it in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz are openly going ahead with plans to place Gazans in camps in preparation to transfer them out of the enclave.
The fact that Katz unveiled his "humanitarian city" plan for Rafah for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians locked down and under surveillance, with no option of leaving, as a humanitarian solution, is nothing more than a chilling distortion of language. Netanyahu is promoting this twisted plan in Washington, where he explained while insulting the intelligence of the entire world that "it's called free choice. If people want to stay, they can stay; but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave." The prime minister added, without a shred of shame, that Gaza "shouldn't be a prison. It should be an open place."
Although this sounds like a parody of the idea of reconstruction, it's not theoretical. Diplomatic sources say the move's goal is to concentrate most of Gaza's population in a closed city, provide them with humanitarian aid and "encourage" them to "voluntarily" immigrate. All of this is being coordinated with U.S. officials. Netanyahu even boasted that Israel and the U.S. are "getting close to finding several countries" to take the Gazans.
This isn't a humanitarian solution but transfer. Only in a distorted reality can anyone speak about free will in connection with people who have spent the past 20 months under constant bombardment, while facing hunger and a lack of water, electricity and medicines. The reality is that it'll be the war crime of the forced transfer of civilians, banned under international law.
The defense establishment is alarmed. In a highly charged discussion with the security cabinet, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir asked to halt the vote to clarify the implications, but Netanyahu firmly refused. "No way," he said. "We've discussed it." When the chief of staff asked whether the military would be required to control two million civilians, Netanyahu replied: "I'm bringing 10 D9s to prepare the humanitarian space."
The army's reservations were rejected; the decision passed unanimously. In Netanyahu's Israel, when someone in the defense establishment warns of danger or the implications of a dangerous policy, it's just a reason to get rid of him. The obstreperous chief of staff is now less to the liking of the government after making them face reality.
The defense establishment is alarmed. In a highly charged discussion with the security cabinet, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir asked to halt the vote to clarify the implications, but Netanyahu firmly refused. "No way," he said. "We've discussed it." When the chief of staff asked whether the military would be required to control two million civilians, Netanyahu replied: "I'm bringing 10 D9s to prepare the humanitarian space."
The army's reservations were rejected; the decision passed unanimously. In Netanyahu's Israel, when someone in the defense establishment warns of danger or the implications of a dangerous policy, it's just a reason to get rid of him. The obstreperous chief of staff is now less to the liking of the government after making them face reality.
Jul 9, 2025 1:03 am IDT
The Chosen People, the only democratic country in the Middle East by way of the world's most moral army, is now planning a "humanitarian city" in the Gaza Strip. It makes no difference what Orwellian cellophane they are wrapping it in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz are openly going ahead with plans to place Gazans in camps in preparation to transfer them out of the enclave.
The fact that Katz unveiled his "humanitarian city" plan for Rafah for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians locked down and under surveillance, with no option of leaving, as a humanitarian solution, is nothing more than a chilling distortion of language. Netanyahu is promoting this twisted plan in Washington, where he explained while insulting the intelligence of the entire world that "it's called free choice. If people want to stay, they can stay; but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave." The prime minister added, without a shred of shame, that Gaza "shouldn't be a prison. It should be an open place."
Although this sounds like a parody of the idea of reconstruction, it's not theoretical. Diplomatic sources say the move's goal is to concentrate most of Gaza's population in a closed city, provide them with humanitarian aid and "encourage" them to "voluntarily" immigrate. All of this is being coordinated with U.S. officials. Netanyahu even boasted that Israel and the U.S. are "getting close to finding several countries" to take the Gazans.
This isn't a humanitarian solution but transfer. Only in a distorted reality can anyone speak about free will in connection with people who have spent the past 20 months under constant bombardment, while facing hunger and a lack of water, electricity and medicines. The reality is that it'll be the war crime of the forced transfer of civilians, banned under international law.
The defense establishment is alarmed. In a highly charged discussion with the security cabinet, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir asked to halt the vote to clarify the implications, but Netanyahu firmly refused. "No way," he said. "We've discussed it." When the chief of staff asked whether the military would be required to control two million civilians, Netanyahu replied: "I'm bringing 10 D9s to prepare the humanitarian space."
The army's reservations were rejected; the decision passed unanimously. In Netanyahu's Israel, when someone in the defense establishment warns of danger or the implications of a dangerous policy, it's just a reason to get rid of him. The obstreperous chief of staff is now less to the liking of the government after making them face reality.
The defense establishment is alarmed. In a highly charged discussion with the security cabinet, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir asked to halt the vote to clarify the implications, but Netanyahu firmly refused. "No way," he said. "We've discussed it." When the chief of staff asked whether the military would be required to control two million civilians, Netanyahu replied: "I'm bringing 10 D9s to prepare the humanitarian space."
The army's reservations were rejected; the decision passed unanimously. In Netanyahu's Israel, when someone in the defense establishment warns of danger or the implications of a dangerous policy, it's just a reason to get rid of him. The obstreperous chief of staff is now less to the liking of the government after making them face reality.
