Former Israeli leader says planned ‘humanitarian city’ in Gaza would be a ‘concentration camp’

A controversial Israeli plan to relocate Palestinians into a so-called “humanitarian city” has sparked fierce criticism, including from a former prime minister.

Ehud Olmert, who led Israel from 2006 to 2009, warned that the proposed city resembles a “concentration camp.” His remarks came in response to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's recent announcement. Katz revealed that the military had been instructed to prepare for the forced relocation of Gaza’s population.

“It is a concentration camp. I am sorry,” Olmert told The Guardian. “If they will be deported into the new ‘humanitarian city’, then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing.”

The city would sit on the ruins of Rafah, a southern Gaza city already devastated by months of war. Katz said once people enter the new zone, they would not be allowed to leave. He also confirmed plans to promote the emigration of Palestinians from Gaza.

Olmert’s remarks shocked many, especially in Israel, where comparisons to Nazi Germany remain taboo. Yet, he stood firm. “It is the inevitable interpretation of the plan,” he said. “When they build a camp where they ‘clean’ more than half of Gaza… it’s not to save them. It is to deport them, to push them and to throw them away.”

The Prime Minister’s Office swiftly condemned Olmert’s comments, labeling him a “convicted felon disgracing Israel on CNN.” In a statement, the office defended current policies: “We evacuate civilians. Hamas blocks them. He calls that a war crime?”

Olmert was released from prison in 2017 after serving 16 months for corruption. Since then, he has openly criticized Israel’s political and military strategies in Gaza. In May, he declared he could no longer defend Israel from war crime allegations. “What is it if not a war crime?” he asked in an interview with CNN.

He specifically targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right members of the government. “They are committing actions which can’t be interpreted any other way,” Olmert said.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 58,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began.

Katz’s proposal reportedly came up during a Sunday meeting with Netanyahu. A source close to the matter told The Guardian that the prime minister asked officials to shorten the timeline and reduce costs. Israeli media reported the project could take months and cost billions.

Critics inside Israel also voiced concern. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of enabling far-right fantasies to keep his fragile coalition intact. “It’s time to end the war and bring back the hostages,” Lapid said on social media.

Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights attorney, said Katz’s plan would likely violate international law. “This amounts to the forcible transfer of a population in preparation for deportation,” Sfard told CNN. “Both are war crimes.”

Sfard also challenged the claim that any such transfer could be voluntary. “If they are done on a massive scale – whole communities – they can amount to crimes against humanity,” he said.

In January, people in Rafah walked past homes reduced to rubble following a now-defunct ceasefire. Since then, plans to rebuild have centered not on restoration, but on removal and displacement.

Despite international pressure, Israel’s military operations continue. And now, its future plans for Gaza’s population are drawing as much scrutiny as the war itself.

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