Israeli plan to move Gazans into closed zone sparks backlash, even from insiders

An Israeli proposal to move Gazans into a so-called "humanitarian city" has come under intense fire, slammed by critics as a costly distraction at best, and at worst, a potential step towards forcing Palestinians to vacate their land.

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JERUSALEM -

Defence Minister Israel Katz first unveiled the plan during a briefing with reporters on July 7. It envisions building from scratch a closed zone in southern Gaza during a potential 60-day ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas, currently under negotiation in Qatar.

According to Mr Katz, the area would initially house around 600,000 displaced people from southern Gaza and include four aid distribution sites managed by international organisations.

The entire civilian population of Gaza — more than two million people — would eventually be relocated there.

Critics, however, have questioned both the feasibility and ethics of the plan, with Israel's opposition leader citing its astronomical cost, and one expert pointing to the lack of infrastructure in the area necessary to accommodate so many people.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has described the proposed facility as a "concentration camp", while Britain's minister for the Middle East and North Africa has said he is "appalled" by the idea.

"Palestinian territory must not be reduced," British Parliamentary Under-Secretary Hamish Falconer said on social media platform X. "Civilians must be able to return to their communities."

Nearly 21 months of war have devastated much of the Gaza Strip, displacing most of its population, creating dire shortages of food and other essentials, and killing 58,026 people, most of them civilians, according to the territory's Health Ministry.