Israel Prepares Large Camp for Palestinians in Gaza, Retired General Reveals

Israel is preparing a large, organized camp in southern Gaza that would centralize Palestinian movement under Israeli supervision. Retired reservist Brigadier-General Amir Avivi told Reuters that land in Rafah has been cleared for a facility likely capable of hosting “hundreds of thousands of people,” with entry and exit monitored by Israeli personnel using ID checks, including facial recognition.

Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, said the site would sit atop areas cleared of Hamas tunnels and would serve both Palestinians seeking to cross into Egypt and those choosing to remain.

You need to build infrastructure in Rafah that can host them, and then they can choose if they want to go or not.

Retired reservist Brigadier-General Amir Avivi

The Israeli military declined to comment while the prime minister’s office offered no immediate response. Hamas officials rejected the plan, with Ismail Al-Thawabta calling it a cover for “forced displacement.”

The initiative comes as Israel prepares a “limited reopening” of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, a step linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war.

Sources told Reuters this month that Israel aims to ensure more Palestinians leave Gaza than are allowed in, a politically sensitive objective given Israel’s repeated denials of forced transfer.

Surveillance Camp and Displacement Risk

Independent verification is already reshaping the picture on the ground. Al Jazeera’s Digital Investigations Team analyzed satellite imagery from Dec. 2 through Monday, identifying about 1.3 sq km (roughly half a square mile) in western Rafah that has undergone systematic leveling. The cleared zone sits next to two Israeli military posts, indicating direct supervision. Al Jazeera characterized the site as a controlled “holding pen” rather than a humanitarian shelter.

“Human Sorting Mechanism”

Gaza-based analyst Wissam Afifa described the facility as a “human-sorting mechanism,” arguing it would deter returns by imposing interrogation and biometric screening.

Nearly all of Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents have been pushed into a narrow coastal strip since the war began, after Israeli forces took full control of Rafah following an October ceasefire. Avivi said “there are no Gazans, almost at all, in Rafah,” adding that the camp could also absorb civilians fleeing a renewed offensive.

Israeli attacks since the ceasefire have killed more than 480 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, while Israel’s military says four soldiers have died in militant assaults.

According to Anadolu Agency, Israel committed 1,244 violations during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, underscoring continued military pressure even as negotiations and limited crossings remain under discussion.

Demilitarization Before Reconstruction

The Rafah project sits within a broader Israeli strategy that prioritizes demilitarization over rebuilding. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament that “the next phase is demilitarization of the Strip and disarming Hamas,” explicitly excluding reconstruction.

Hamas has publicly refused to surrender its weapons, and two Hamas officials told Reuters this week that no detailed disarmament proposal has been presented by Washington or mediators. A White House document circulated last week calls for immediate decommissioning of heavy weapons, followed by registration and phased removal of personal arms as an interim technocratic administration assumes policing.

Israel’s security cabinet is preparing for escalation if talks fail. Avivi said, “Plans are set. The army is ready to get the command from the government, from the cabinet to renew its maneuvers in Gaza,” including a potential return to Gaza City. Cabinet minister Avi Dichter echoed that stance, warning, “We have to get prepared for the war in Gaza,” adding that disarmament may be enforced “the hard way.”

Parallel developments underscore the geographic scope of Israel’s reshaping of Gaza. On Jan. 26, Al Jazeera reported satellite evidence showing Israeli forces had flattened large parts of Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza despite the ceasefire, fueling concerns that destruction is clearing land for future settlements.

Analysts say Israel now maintains a physical presence across 58 percent of the Strip, with roughly 70 percent under direct military management.