The head of the IDF General Staff Eyal Zamir told ministers that the “humanitarian city” project in the southern Gaza Strip is unfeasible and does not meet the objectives of the war, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
“Humanitarian city” or “concentration camp”
Earlier, media reported that the army was opposed to plans for a “humanitarian city” for 600,000 Palestinians in Rafah.
Eyal Zamir outlined the main problems to ministers: it is expensive, time-consuming and will harm negotiations for the release of hostages. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Zamir and demanded that he come up with another plan for the city by the next day — one that is compact, quick and cheap.
Now Channel 12 is quoting specific statements made by Zamir at a meeting held yesterday with Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz and Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“This is an unworkable project,” the IDF chief of staff said. “It has more holes than Swiss cheese. You can try to do everything, but what is the point? There are endless problems with this project, and I’m not sure it meets the objectives of the war.”
The Israeli government is promoting a project it calls a “humanitarian city.” Critics compare it to a “concentration camp” and point out that it could be a preparatory step toward the forced transfer of Palestinians.
The political leadership claims that the aim of creating the city is to concentrate the civilian population of Gaza, separate it from “terrorists” and provide it with humanitarian services, as well as to contribute to the isolation of Hamas and increase pressure on the organisation. However, there are those in the security establishment who hold a different view.
Number of Palestinian fatalities rises
Meanwhile, the death toll from the Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 has risen to 58,386 dead and 139,077 wounded.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health, in its daily statistical report on the number of dead and wounded as a result of military operations in the Gaza Strip, received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), reported that 240 deaths had been added to the total number of deaths, which had been finalised and approved by the Judicial Committee for the Review of Files and Lists of Missing Persons.
