New names, including Rafah Green Zone and New Gaza, have emerged over the past two days, at a time when the move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is stalling.
The agreement is brokered by the United States with Arab, international and United Nations support.
Hebrew media reported that the Israeli government yielded to a United States decision and allowed the army to begin field work east of Rafah to build a new city called Rafah Green Zone.
The initial preparations include bringing in heavy engineering equipment to clear rubble and prepare the land.
Israeli attempts to delay
According to Hebrew media reports, Israel tried for weeks to delay these works, arguing that they were part of the second phase, which has not yet begun. But under United States pressure it was forced to start preparing for the next stage of the plan.
The works include creating a humanitarian zone and a new city east of Rafah on land under Israeli control. Washington wants to use this step to present Palestinians with a model for building a City of Hope, offering them a vision of a new Gaza that is vibrant and modern, in contrast to the old Gaza that is destroyed and bleak under Hamas control.
But Israel objected. Advancing the second phase, it argued, would lead to the reopening of the Rafah crossing, force a new withdrawal from other parts of Gaza and allow Arab and international forces to deploy there.
These countries have held back from sending troops because of the Israeli occupation and what they described as its impossible demands.
Israel's Channel 12 said Washington accused Israel of stalling and blamed it for countries pulling back from joining the multinational force. Israel then reversed course and agreed to start building the new city.
Israel's public broadcaster Kan 11 said Israel is preparing to bring heavy machinery into Rafah, possibly next week, to begin extensive rubble removal aimed at preparing land for the new humanitarian zone free of Hamas fighters.
Use of armed militias
The report said the Israeli army has informed armed militias working in coordination with Israel of the planned steps. According to the United States blueprint, the next phase includes deploying a foreign military force in areas that Israel partially controls.
The channel i24NEWS reported that the Israeli army has already started development work to build a new Palestinian city east of Rafah known as Rafah Green Zone.
It cited plans for a major expansion of work next week, including the removal of rubble and explosive remnants. It added that a massive engineering force will start operating at the beginning of next week.
The newspaper Maariv said Yasser Abu Shabab’s militias active in Rafah have begun appearing in the planned city area alongside representatives of the Israeli forces and civilian representatives from the United States command headquarters in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel.
Cabinet objections
Political sources said the decision to yield has triggered rejection and even anger among most cabinet ministers, who argue that Israel should not build on the yellow line, which they say would expose settlements around Gaza to danger.
Some right-wing media outlets reported the news under the headline “Disgrace.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his decision and said the preparatory work includes pumping large amounts of cement into tunnels and sealing off wide areas. He said these works serve Israeli interests by destroying Hamas military infrastructure.
Netanyahu argued that the withdrawal of Arab and Muslim countries from participating in the international force serves the interests of Qatar and Türkiye, and that Israel must meet US demands and avoid confrontation with Washington.
Authority and Hamas opposition
The Palestinian Authority rejects the works Israel is carrying out under the banner of Gaza reconstruction. Officials have reiterated the Authority’s role and its support for the Arab plan.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said during a meeting with an Italian delegation on Thursday that the Authority has its own reconstruction and recovery plan for Gaza with an executive program that Arab and Muslim states have adopted and the international community supports through the New York Declaration.
He said the Authority is working with Egypt to organize a reconstruction and recovery conference in Cairo.
Hamas described the project as a new trick to justify what it called Israel’s blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. It said in a statement that Israel trampled on the agreement and undermined its first phase with daily violations.
An informed Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that the Cairo conference on early recovery and Gaza reconstruction, which had been scheduled for late November, would not be held as planned and will be postponed.
The source said the conference will not take place at the end of the month and he expects a slight delay, especially since a parallel effort is underway.
He said it is clear that the United States intends to take a separate step on this issue in Rafah, referring to what is being called the green zone in areas under Israeli control in the enclave.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights said 350 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during 47 days of violations after the ceasefire took effect, including 130 children and 54 women.
The center documented more than 535 violations of the agreement, an average of more than 11 a day, and said the violations have continued since the moment the ceasefire was activated.
It said Israel has restricted the entry of humanitarian aid, allowing only 211 trucks a day despite claiming to permit 600. The center added that Israel has not adhered to the agreed withdrawal map and continues to impose fire control and carry out incursions into civilian areas of the enclave.
