Israel building 'concentration camps' for Palestinians in Gaza with US support

Israel is moving forward with a controversial plan to establish secured container settlements within the Gaza Strip, creating segregated zones that critics compare to concentration camps. The initiative, developed with high-level US support, aims to relocate thousands of Palestinians into fenced compounds under permanent Israeli military control.

The "Green Zone" Implementation Plan

According to reports from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the plan involves constructing 10-11 container cities behind Israel's "Yellow Line" defensive positions, housing approximately 20,000-25,000 Palestinians. The initial phase will focus on the Rafah border region in southern Gaza, which Israeli forces occupied in May 2024. These settlements would be completely separated from the rest of Gaza by electrified fences and advanced Israeli security systems, creating what authorities term an "alternative society" but critics describe as institutionalized segregation.

US Involvement and Regional Concerns

The Trump administration, including senior figures like Jared Kushner, reportedly supports the plan despite its violation of the October 10 ceasefire agreement that required Israeli withdrawal from the Yellow Line. The initiative has alarmed regional partners, particularly Egypt, which fears Israel may eventually force the relocated Palestinians across the border into Sinai. Egyptian officials have explicitly rejected any mass transfer of Palestinians to Egyptian territory, while United Nations experts warn the plan represents systematic displacement rather than humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian and Political Implications

The container cities would operate under strict Israeli control with limited access to reconstruction aid, education, and healthcare, creating what the New York Times characterizes as concentration camp conditions. With Gaza's infrastructure devastated by two years of bombardment and winter conditions setting in, the plan's implementation faces practical challenges while raising fundamental questions about the territory's future. The initiative appears designed to create permanent Israeli-controlled zones within Gaza, potentially foreclosing prospects for a unified Palestinian administration in the coastal enclave.