The Minister of Regional Cooperation, Israel Katz, has recently announced plans to build an extensive migrant camp in Gaza. His announcement has caused a major uproar and panic in Israel and internationally. The new proposed project stands at an estimated annual cost of approximately 15 billion shekels (approx. £3.3 billion). It seeks to eventually move more than 600,000 Palestinians at the outset. The Middle East Eye report describes the plan as relocating the entire population of Gaza. They’ll be transferred to a new prison complex in southern Gaza, near the Egyptian border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu happened to be in Washington DC on the day of the announcement. There, he was able to garner support for the initiative, according to reports. Even before Israel’s controversial plan was released, it raised alarms among Israel’s staunchest allies. In the UK, officials are especially concerned about its possible influence on regional stability and humanitarian concerns.
The camp’s proposed location is strategically placed between the Egyptian border and the Israeli military’s “Morag corridor.” This positioning has opened up opportunist, fraught, political debates within the Israeli hegemonic bloc. Officials seem particularly concerned with how it would affect security and the allocation of resources.
Eyal Zamir, a former deputy chief of staff for the Israeli military and an eloquent critic of the plan has spoken out against it. He condemned it for siphoning critical dollars and assets from military priorities. Zamir described the proposed camp as “an isolated city that resembles a ghetto,” highlighting concerns over the humanitarian implications of relocating such a large population.
“This would be an isolated city that resembles a ghetto,” – Eyal Zamir
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert condemned the proposal in harsh terms. He likened the project to a “concentration camp.” Olmert, who was Israel’s prime minister from 2006 to 2009, has felt the weight of those comparisons. He explained that they are not taken lightly and raise major ethical issues regarding the treatment of the Palestinian people.
In response to Olmert’s comments, Amichai Eliyahu, a member of Netanyahu’s party, called for Olmert to be jailed, insisting that such rhetoric undermines national dialogue and security. Israeli leaders have wildly divergent views on how to approach the long-simmering crisis with Palestinians. This dramatic difference highlights the chasm between them.
Netanyahu seems determined to move forward with the camp plan. The project is presented as a crucial global humanitarian and security asset. Critics like James McGarry of the International Crisis Group warn that the move could worsen tensions instead of diffusing them.
The backdrop of this political turmoil is overlaid by a continuing wave of violence in Gaza. The civilian death toll is already high, as recent Israeli strikes throughout the region have killed at least 31 people. This escalation increases worries over a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. This context adds urgency to the debates surrounding the camp proposal, as leaders grapple with balancing security measures and humanitarian responsibilities.
Yet as these deep conversations continue, to say that the international community is taking note would be an understatement. The potential for escalating tensions between Israel and its allies remains a pressing concern, with many urging for a more diplomatic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.