Gaza: Israeli military ordered to turn ruins of Rafah into ‘humanitarian city’ but experts call the plan an internment camp for all Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has agreed to evacuate most of the occupied Gaza Strip for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities with Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Israeli Defense Minister Israeli Katz announced that approximately 75% of Gaza will be evacuated, while military operations will continue in the remaining 25% of the territory.
Minister Katz explained that continuing military actions in the remaining areas could pose an unnecessary threat to hostages held by Hamas. He emphasized that after tomorrow, Gaza would be free of Hamas presence, and expressed hope for a 60-day ceasefire to be established with Hamas.
Under the terms discussed, Hamas is expected to return 10 hostages, and there is an agreement to repatriate half of the dead hostages. Israeli and Palestinian sources indicate that ceasefire negotiations will address key issues, including the scope of the war, Hamas’s position, humanitarian aid, and potential limitations on the Israeli military.
The Israeli Defense Minister also stated that Hamas has agreed to remain under the influence of the Philadifly Corridor, a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt. This corridor, 14 km long and 100 meters wide, extends along the borders of Egypt, Gaza, and Israel. It has been managed through a special arrangement between Egypt and Israel, but Israeli forces entered and took control of the main area in May 2024.
In addition to these developments, Israeli forces have been ordered to target and destroy key areas in Gaza, particularly the city deemed most destructive.
