ISRAEL – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have raised concerns over the proposed “Humanitarian City” in Gaza, saying that it’s a concentration camp for Palestinians.
“It is a concentration camp. I am sorry,…. If they (Palestinians) will be deported into the new ‘humanitarian city’, then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing,” he said.
The Israeli government unveiled a plan last week to relocate Gaza’s entire population to a new zone on the ruins of Rafah city.
According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, Gaza’s Palestinian residents will be held in the new zone, and from there, they will be allowed to emigrate from Gaza to other countries.
The controversial plan has triggered global outrage, with the UN and rights groups decrying it, as it amounts to the forced transfer of Palestinians.
Israeli opposition leaders have also denounced the plan, which is estimated to cost $4 billion, over its high budget, saying the proposal would amount to interning Palestinians in a “concentration camp.”
The Israeli military also objected to the plan as it would harm ongoing efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinians.
According to Israeli Channel 12, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense Cabinet meeting on Sunday night during which he “threw out” the plan.
“I asked for a realistic plan,” Netanyahu told Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, calling for preparing a “cheaper and faster alternative” by tomorrow.
During the meeting, Zamir clashed with Netanyahu and his far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over the plan, warning that the proposal could harm the army’s main objectives in Gaza.
The Israeli army argues that building the proposed city to concentrate the Palestinians inside would take several months, and possibly up to a year to build.
The military is also worried that the Palestinian group Hamas would interpret the plan as an Israeli decision to pursue a partial deal and resume the war after any ceasefire.