Israel plans humanitarian city for 600,000 Gaza residents-what now?

Israel plans humanitarian city for 600,000 Gaza residents-what now?

Rafah, Gazastreifen, Palästina - Israel plans to set up a collecting camp for up to 600,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which is called the "humanitarian city". Laut Kleine Zeitung werden die Trümmer von Rafah, welche während des Konflikts stark beschädigt wurden, als Standort für dieses neue Lager chosen. The main goal is to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people who are currently living in tents in the Al-Mawasi area.

The implementation of the project is to take place during a planned 60-day break, which the Israeli government and Hamas negotiate in Doha. The warehouse is not managed by the Israeli army, but by international partners, while the Israeli military will secure the surrounding area. People who have access to the "humanitarian city" must withstand a security check, and once admitted persons may no longer leave the facility.

emigration and security questions

The camp is also intended to carry out an emigration plan for Palestinians. Israeli government agents have already announced that they are promoting the "voluntary" emigration of a part of the Gaza population. The Gaza Strip is currently inhabited by over two million people, many of them have lost their apartments due to the ongoing war. So far, however, no country has agreed to record a significant number of Palestinians, which raises questions about the voluntariness of this migration movement.

Unrwa and the refugee situation

The current situation of the Palestinians is also strongly linked to the work of the Unrwa (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). This organization was founded in 1949 to help the Palestinians after the Second World War. According to bpb.de supervises around 5.7 million registered today Refugees, while the refugee status is passed on to descendants by the paternal line. This regulation contributed to the high number of Palestine refugees.

Unrwa is trapped in a area of ​​tension between the claim to return (Resolution 194) and the settlement (Resolution 302). Despite critical voices that blame the organization for the inhibition of the Integration of refugees into recording countries, it remains an essential source of help, education, health care and humanitarian support.

The planned measures in Israel will therefore not only have to be considered with regard to the current humanitarian crisis but also in relation to the long history of refugee status and the role of the UNRWA.