Rafah, Gaza Strip – In a stunning rebuke of Israel’s current government, former Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Yair Lapid have denounced plans to establish a massive "humanitarian city" in Rafah, southern Gaza, warning it would function as a "concentration camp" and facilitate the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Their criticisms, delivered on July 13–14, 2025, escalate internal Israeli dissent amid ongoing bombardment that killed 95 Palestinians in a single day.
Core Accusations from Leadership
Ehud Olmert (PM 2006–2009):
"It is a concentration camp. I am sorry. If they [Palestinians] will be deported into the new ‘humanitarian city’, then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing."
Olmert explicitly linked the plan to Israel’s broader strategy: "When they build a camp where they [plan to] ‘clean’ more than half of Gaza... It is to deport them, to push them and to throw them away."
Yair Lapid (Opposition Leader, PM 2022):
"I don’t prefer to describe a humanitarian city as a concentration camp, but if exiting it is prohibited, then it is a concentration camp."
Lapid dismissed the plan as a "bad idea from every possible perspective—security, political, economic, logistical," noting the Israeli military opposes it.
The Controversial "Humanitarian City" Plan
- Purpose Scale: Proposed by Defense Minister Israel Katz, the camp would initially house 600,000 Palestinians displaced to al-Mawasi, eventually concentrating Gaza’s entire population into a single controlled zone.
- Control Mechanism: An international force would manage the camp internally, while the Israeli military secures the perimeter.
- Context of Destruction: Satellite imagery shows 28,600 buildings demolished in Rafah (up from 15,800 in April 2025).
| Date | Buildings Destroyed | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| April 4 | 15,800 | Baseline |
| July 4 | 28,600 | +81% |
Humanitarian and Legal Condemnation
UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini warned the camp would create "massive concentration camps" and trigger a "second Nakba."
Human rights lawyer Michael Sfard called it "a blueprint for crimes against humanity," noting forced transfer could constitute genocide under international law.
Historian Amos Goldberg stated it was "neither humanitarian nor a city" due to the absence of freedom or economy.
International Reactions and Geopolitical Tensions
- U.S. Involvement: Netanyahu and Donald Trump are seeking countries willing to accept fleeing Palestinians.
- Regional Rejection: Arab states and Palestinians universally reject displacement.
- Ceasefire Impact: The Rafah camp is a major obstacle to truce negotiations.
Broader Implications
"We make a discount to ourselves saying: ‘They are antisemites.’ I don’t think that they are only antisemites... This is a painful but normal reaction of people who say: ‘Hey, you guys have crossed every possible line.’" — Ehud Olmert
| Figure | Role | Statement Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Ehud Olmert | Former Israeli PM | "Concentration camp," "ethnic cleansing," "war crimes" |
| Yair Lapid | Opposition Leader | "Concentration camp if no exit," "bad idea strategically" |
| Philippe Lazzarini | UNRWA Commissioner-General | "Second Nakba," "massive concentration camps" |
| Michael Sfard | Human Rights Lawyer | "Crime against humanity," "blueprint for genocide" |
What Next?
As Israel advances Rafah operations, scrutiny will intensify on potential ICC actions, U.S. policy, and the risk of regional conflict. The warnings from Olmert and Lapid signal a profound rupture within Israel’s establishment, framing the government’s vision not as security, but as a catastrophe in the making.
Reported by WSN 024 – All rights reserved.