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Human rights groups, journalists, and even Israel’s own military lawyers are questioning the legality of the IDF’s new plan for Gaza. Michael Sfard, one of Israel’s top human rights lawyers, said that the plan breaks international law and laid out a “plan for a crime against humanity.” Arad Nir, a news editor for Israel’s channel 12, compared the plan to build a “humanitarian city” to a plan to build concentration camps. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, even the IDF’s legal branch challenged the legality of the plan on the grounds that displacement and internment of civilians is illegal in international law. According to an official in the Israeli government, PM Benjamin Netanyahu supports the plan in spite of its questionable legality. Defense Minister Israel Katz unveiled the new plan to build a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza on the ruins of Rafah earlier this week. According to Katz the plan would relocate roughly 600,000 displaced Palestinians currently living in makeshift camps to the area where they would be screened and then housed. Once inside the security zone, Palestinians would not be permitted to leave but would be encouraged to “voluntarily” emigrate from Gaza. According to Katz, the IDF would not manage the security zone, but that would be done by a third party. The camp would also have four aid distribution hubs. Earlier in the week, Israel pledged to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza after discussions with the European Union. The decision came as reports of Palestinian deaths while seeking aid continued. According to the AFP, 66 Palestinians were killed in strikes in Gaza on Thursday including 17 who were seeking aid need a medical station in Deir al-Balah. Reuters reported that fuel shortages have crippled one Gaza’s last remaining hospitals and put the lives of dozens of premature babies at risk.
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