Israeli officials confirmed that the cost of establishing the so-called "humanitarian city" in Rafah , south of the Gaza Strip, will range between 10 and 15 billion shekels, which Israel hopes will later be reimbursed by Arab countries. They emphasized that the proposed city will be nothing more than a "tent city."
According to a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli officials said that if the project goes ahead, Israel will bear the costs in the first phase.
They added that "the city will be a huge camp" housing about half a million Gazans, whom the occupation authorities will not allow to return to the northern Gaza Strip.
The newspaper explained the high price of establishing the "tent city" as "stemming from the desire to build a place where Palestinians would want to go, with plenty of food, good conditions, long-term tents, medical assistance, including hospitals, and perhaps even access to education."
Sources told the newspaper that the idea is for Israel to be reimbursed for its costs by Arab countries when they assume responsibility for rebuilding Gaza after the war ends. The sources estimated that "this is impossible, and there are few who believe that this city will actually be built."
Security rejection
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir rejected the plan to establish a "humanitarian city" in Rafah, stressing that equipping the area would weaken the Israeli army's ability to carry out its missions in the Gaza Strip, according to the newspaper.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to prepare a plan for the city within days, despite security warnings.
Smotrich denies
However, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's office described the estimated cost of establishing the "tent city" as "claims intended to undermine Netanyahu's plan by inflating budgets for the purpose of intimidation and deterrence."
He added that the government had approved hundreds of millions "to prepare a protected area for the population," not billions of shekels.
On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz unveiled the outlines of a new plan to establish what he called a "humanitarian city" of tents on the ruins of Rafah. The plan includes initially transferring 600,000 Palestinians to the city after undergoing strict security screening. They will not be allowed to leave later.
