UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini also denounced Israel’s plan, calling it a “second Nakba” that would “de-facto create massive concentration camps.”
UNRWA has condemned Israel’s plan to force Gaza’s population into a “humanitarian city” on the ruins of Rafah as inhumane.
“Calling it a humanitarian city is an insult to the humanitarian principles, because there is nothing humanitarian or humane about seeking to confine the first 600,000, but then the entirety of the population in Gaza into a space that is highly vetted by the Israeli forces,” Tamara Alrifai, UNRWA Director of External Relations and Communications, told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
She said the plan “essentially moves Gaza, previously known as the largest open-air prison in the world, to the most confined, the most overpopulated open-air prison in the world.
“There is nothing humanitarian or humane” about the so-called humanitarian city Israeli officials are talking about, tells our UNRWA Director of External Relations and Communications @TamaraAlrifai to @AJEnglish
This plan would de-facto create massive concentration camps at the… pic.twitter.com/ZjuhC17pZn
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 10, 2025
Alrifai stressed that the freedom of movement and the access “of Gazans in and out of that place is highly, completely regulated by the government of Israel,” adding “Nothing humanitarian or humane about it.”
Not Allowed to Leave
The plan, announced by Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday, aims to initially transfer some 600,000 already-displaced Palestinians who have been living in the al-Mawasi area on the coast to what he called a “humanitarian city”. They would be screened upon entry and, once inside, not be allowed to leave, Katz reportedly said.
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Katz said the entire population will be held in the new zone, and from there, they will be allowed to emigrate from Gaza to other countries.
Alrifai also reportedly warned the idea would effectively create sprawling refugee camps along Egypt’s border.
‘Concentration Camps’
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini also denounced the proposal, calling it a “second Nakba.”
“This would de-facto create massive concentration camps at the border with Egypt for the Palestinians, displaced over and over across generations,” Lazzarini stated on X.
He added that it “would also deprive Palestinians of any prospects for a better future in their homeland.”
A second Nakba?
Israeli officials state they plan yet another mass displacement of the Palestinian people in #Gaza towards Rafah.
This would de-facto create massive concentration camps at the border with Egypt for the Palestinians, displaced over and over across generations.…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) July 9, 2025
“We cannot be silent & complicit of such large scale forced displacement. The only way forward is a lasting ceasefire which includes the release of the hostages + uninterrupted, safe & dignified assistance & a genuine commitment to a future two-state solution,” Lazzarini stated.
The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated places on earth, with Rafah covering just about 55 square kilometers.
‘Fuel Still Running Out’
Meanwhile, the UN announced on Thursday the first delivery of fuel into the Gaza Strip in 130 days, but said it was far from sufficient to sustain humanitarian operations.
Citing the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference that “yesterday, a UN team managed to bring in about 75,000 liters of fuel from Israel into the Gaza Strip. This is the first such provision in 130 days.”
He, however, warned that “the amount entered yesterday isn’t sufficient to cover even one day of energy requirements.”
Fuel Shortage Threatens to Paralyze Largest Medical Center in Gaza
“Fuel is still running out, and services will shut down if greater volumes do not enter the Gaza Strip immediately,” Dujarric stressed.
He pointed out that the UN and its partners need “hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel each day to keep essential life-saving and life-sustaining operations going.”
A UN partner informed UNRWA this week that in a matter of days, fuel shortages could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children that depend on that water source, Dujarric stated.
The lack of fresh water “would further increase the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery,” he added.
Continued Attacks
The UN spokesman decried the Israeli military’s continued attacks across the Gaza Strip, including shelling and ground incursions.
“This morning, people waiting to get nutritional supplements were reportedly struck in Deir al-Balah,” he said.
Several displaced Palestinians were injured early Friday after Israeli forces shelled tents near the Ghaith Camp in Mawasi, west of Khan Yunis. pic.twitter.com/btxOaNnlcV
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 11, 2025
According to Al-Aqsa Hospital, the attack “resulted in dozens of casualties, the majority of whom were women and children.”
Dujarric also noted a strike on a humanitarian partner’s office in Gaza City, with three staff members killed.
“This catastrophic situation must end. A ceasefire is not only urgent, it is long overdue,” he emphasized.
Ongoing Genocidal Assault
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 57,000, wounding more than 137,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
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Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, Anadolu)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
