Press reports revealed that Egypt is building a buffer zone on an area of 20 square kilometers, near its border with the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian officials said that the area being built can accommodate more than 100,000 people, and is surrounded by concrete walls, according to the American Wall Street Journal.
The officials added that the construction of this area comes amid fears that the Israeli military incursion into Rafah will lead to an influx of refugees from Gaza.
Israel faces mounting warnings from its allies and critics that its promised ground offensive in Rafah, a last resort that has seen its population grow five-fold in a matter of months, will lead to a bloodbath among civilians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed again on Wednesday to attack Rafah, saying Hamas had woven its remaining brigades, weapons and smuggling routes throughout the city.
Netanyahu ordered his commanders to draw up plans to move civilians out of harm’s way, but those involved in the discussions acknowledged that practical options remained elusive.
An Israeli official said that planning for the evacuation was underway, but a final plan had not been approved.
The Israeli proposal to establish a series of camps extending along the Gaza coast on the Mediterranean Sea, which can accommodate more than 350,000 tents, was not enough to calm critics when it was recently presented in Cairo.
Israeli proposal
A source familiar with the Israeli discussions within the mini-cabinet, according to the Washington Post, says that there is another Israeli proposal under consideration that seeks to remove civilians from Rafah by directing aid through the now-closed Israeli Erez crossing, near Gaza City, and allowing families to return to the country. North.
He explained: “The area has been devastated by months of air attacks and ground fighting, but it is estimated that more than 100,000 Gazans are still there, and many residents of the south are keen to return to what remains of their communities.”
He added: “But the idea faced immediate political opposition within the security cabinet,” according to the source.
He described the objection within the Israeli war government, saying: “Why should the residents of Gaza be allowed to return to their homes when the Israelis are still unable to return to their homes. More than 300,000 Israelis are still displaced from towns along the Gaza and Lebanon borders.”
