Israel Approves 'Green Rafah' Construction in Southern Gaza

Israel has quietly signaled approval for construction work to start in a specific section of southern Gaza, according to reports from Israeli media outlets. This move pushes forward a post-war blueprint that analysts fear is engineered to reshape the ground reality and permanently split the enclave apart. The initiative, known as "Green Rafah," sits near the unilaterally imposed "Yellow Line" buffer zone in eastern Rafah, an area effectively squeezing Palestinians into ever smaller spaces.

The project enjoys backing from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz. Army Radio reported the green light on Sunday, noting that the Office of the Prime Minister framed it as a pilot effort supported by the United Arab Emirates. The stated goal is to build temporary housing free from any influence by Hamas. While the Israeli military reportedly will oversee the installation of water, sewage, and electrical lines, Palestinian workers face intense security checks by the Shin Bet intelligence agency.

Strict limits already weigh on the project. Authorities have reportedly banned "caravans" or mobile homes from entering the zone until at least November. On Sunday, Netanyahu also stated he rejects the 15-point plan for Gaza released last month by the U.S.-led Board of Peace. That proposal calls for a staged disarmament of Hamas and a phased pull-out of Israeli troops. However, Netanyahu insists an Israeli withdrawal will not happen until Hamas is fully disarmed.

With political talks over Gaza's future stalled, Palestinian researcher Ahmed al-Atawneh issued a stark warning. He argues that projects like "Green Rafah" aim to carve out isolated cantons under total Israeli administrative and security control. Under this framework, he says Israel leaves Palestinians with only three options: submit fully to Israeli policies, face death or imprisonment if they resist, or emigrate.

Al-Atawneh insists these measures are not genuine humanitarian relief but a strategy to strip the Palestinian struggle of its political dimension. "Treating Palestinians merely as residents rather than citizens with a national cause means, in practice, undermining and liquidating the Palestinian cause," he said. He added that this approach fits the broad consensus within the Israeli parliament to reject any Palestinian political entity.

He also took aim at Arab involvement outside of a unified Palestinian consensus. "If any country is involved in this project based on the Israeli vision and away from the Palestinians, it raises many questions," al-Atawneh noted. He argued such actions essentially serve Israeli policy rather than genuinely assisting or relieving Palestinians.

The ban on mobile homes and the delay in rebuilding civilian infrastructure carry deep strategic weight, experts say. Mohammad Hamed al-Aila, a Palestinian researcher, pointed out that the humanitarian protocol attached to the ceasefire agreement signed last year in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh explicitly mandates the entry of temporary housing and repairs to civilian infrastructure. "Israel has not adhered to these obligations, despite 10 months passing since" the signing of the deal, al-Aila said. He noted that Israel continues to stall while Hamas demands full implementation of the first phase.

"Preventing the entry of caravans and postponing any serious reconstruction track cannot be separated from the broader Israeli goal of perpetuating the humanitarian catastrophe," al-Aila added.

Israel sees the suffering in Gaza as a calculated political lever designed to slowly force people out of the land. Al-Atawneh agreed with this grim assessment, pointing out that Netanyahu uses these delays to buy time before the October elections. The prime minister aims to keep his far-right coalition together while quietly pursuing goals related to demographic engineering and displacement.

A new dilemma has emerged regarding an International Stabilization Force (ISF). Countries like Morocco and Uganda might send about 200 troops each, a number that falls way short of earlier plans for a large multinational group. Al-Aila argues these tiny numbers show Israel accepting US proposals on paper while emptying out their real substance.

The role of this force remains fiercely disputed. Palestinians want a shield that protects them from occupation and ensures agreements are kept, al-Aila noted. By contrast, Israel wants the unit to act as a security arm focused on disarming resistance fighters. If the ISF operates under Israeli security rules to target locals, it will look like just an international facade for continuing the occupation, said al-Aila.

Experts say the only real counter-strategy against this engineered fragmentation is strong Palestinian unity. Al-Atawneh stressed that facing these policies needs a unified administration, national consensus, and rebuilt political institutions based on true partnership. He voiced deep frustration with current leadership in the region.

Unfortunately, there appears to be no decision or capability from official political leaders like the Palestinian Authority and PLO, al-Atawneh stated regarding the Palestine Liberation Organisation. They keep turning their backs on popular attempts to unify the Palestinian front, whether those ideas are liked or not by the masses.