Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has proposed relocating all Palestinians in Gaza to a closed “humanitarian city” in the southern part of the territory, according to Israeli media.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Katz outlined a proposal to build a camp in the southern Gaza Strip on the ruins of Rafah, The Times of Israel reported.
He said the initial plan is to house about 600,000 Palestinians following security screenings, according to the publication.
Katz said the screenings are intended to ensure there are no Hamas operatives among the population that has been living in the Mawasi area on the coast after being displaced from elsewhere in Gaza.
He added that Palestinians will not be allowed to leave the proposed area, and over time, it could become home to Gaza’s entire population of more than 2 million people, according to the newspaper.
The Epoch Times contacted Israel’s Ministry of Defence for confirmation but did not receive a response by publication time.
The city, which Katz said would be run by unspecified international organizations, is intended to allow Palestinians to eventually “voluntarily emigrate” from Gaza to other countries, adding that this plan “should be fulfilled,” the Times of Israel reported.
According to the minister, the zone would be secured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from a distance, and an additional four aid distribution sites would be established in the area, according to the report.
Katz’s plan has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, including Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard, who called it a “crime against humanity” on social media platform X.
In March, Arab states endorsed an alternative plan in the form of a $53 billion Egyptian-led reconstruction initiative for Gaza that would allow Palestinians to remain in place.
Trump–Netanyahu Talks
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington for talks on a potential cease-fire with the terrorist group Hamas.
The Trump administration has proposed a cease-fire deal that could pave the way for a 60-day pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas. A previous six-week truce ended in March.
While Hamas has yet to agree to the deal, Trump has said it could be reached this week.
After Monday’s meeting, Netanyahu praised Trump’s vision for Gaza’s future, which includes the option for Palestinians to resettle in other countries.
“If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,” Netanyahu said on Monday. “We’re working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we’re getting close to finding several countries.”
Trump said several countries in the region were cooperating.
“We’ve had great cooperation from … surrounding countries, great cooperation from every single one of them,” he said. “So something good will happen.”
Palestinian Displacement
The war in Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists launched coordinated land, sea, and air attacks on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. Israeli officials say about 50 hostages remain in captivity, including 49 taken during the Oct. 7 assault and one, Hadar Goldin, who is believed to be deceased and whose body has been held since 2014.
Israel’s military response against Hamas has caused widespread destruction across Gaza. The majority of homes and vital infrastructure—including health care, water, sanitation, food, and shelter—have been destroyed, leading to widespread displacement and severe shortages.
Although Hamas has ruled the territory for nearly 20 years, it now controls only parts of the enclave, as the fighting has displaced most of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between Oct. 7. 2023 and May 31, 2025, 6,463 Palestinians were forcibly displaced due to the demolition of their homes by Israeli authorities.
This figure does not include the estimated 40,000 Palestinians displaced from three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem, following heavily militarised Israeli operations in the northern West Bank since January 2025.
During the same period, more than 2,200 Palestinians were also forcibly displaced as a result of settler violence and access restrictions.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict, though its figures do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
The Epoch Times cannot independently verify the figures.
Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
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