Israel Plans “Surveillance Camp” in Rafah as Palestinians Face Forced Displacement

Rafah, Gaza Strip: Israel has reportedly cleared land in southern Gaza to construct a large displacement camp in Rafah, equipped with surveillance and facial recognition technology, according to a retired Israeli general. The facility is intended to host Palestinians who choose or are compelled to leave Gaza and cross into neighboring Egypt.

Retired Brigadier-General Amir Avivi, an adviser to the Israeli military, told Reuters that the camp would feature monitored entry and exit points staffed by Israeli personnel. He described the site as “a big, organized camp” capable of accommodating hundreds of thousands of people, emphasizing that Palestinians would have the option to leave or stay.

Israeli officials have previously indicated plans to transfer Gaza’s population, with Israel’s minister of military affairs, Israel Katz, confirming in July that troops were preparing a camp in Rafah. Reports have also suggested potential transfers of Palestinians to Somaliland, which Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi condemned as “a serious violation” of international law.

Activists and observers have described Israel’s actions as advancing the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, pointing to the widespread destruction of neighborhoods in Gaza and thousands of deaths under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s oversight. Critics argue that the scale of devastation is aimed at rendering Palestinian cities uninhabitable.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to annex over 80 percent of the territory, calling it a “preventative step” against international recognition of Palestinian statehood. Israel has occupied the West Bank, including western al-Quds (Jerusalem), since 1967 and later annexed East al-Quds—territory Palestinians claim as their future capital.

The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s prolonged occupation of historic Palestine is unlawful and called for the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.