oatmeal<p>Quoting Meron Rapoport on why Israel's plan for Gaza has one fitting description: a concentration camp</p><p>Meron Rapoport details how Israel intends to relocate Gaza's 2.2 million residents into a confined, enclosed area, with those remaining outside facing death. This strategy emerges as officials recognize "voluntary evacuation" isn't feasible. The plan involves creating controlled zones where Palestinians would be contained indefinitely, potentially pushing them toward eventual emigration as they face a destroyed homeland with no future. </p><p>[…] On the same day, Defense Minister Israel Katz published a recorded announcement with the following statement: "Residents of Gaza, this is a final warning. The first Sinwar destroyed Gaza, and the second Sinwar will completely demolish it. The Air Force attack against Hamas terrorists was just the first step. What follows will be much harder, and you will pay the full price. Soon, the evacuation of the population from combat zones will begin again. If all Israeli hostages are not released and Hamas is not removed from Gaza - Israel will act with forces you have never experienced before. Take the advice of the US President. Return the hostages and remove Hamas, and other options will open for you - including departure to other places in the world for those who wish. The alternative is complete destruction and devastation."</p><p>[…] Instead of using many words, we can describe in just two words this compound where the military intends to concentrate Gaza's residents, after forcing them from their current locations through threats and bombings: concentration camp. This is the most precise definition, the most accurate, that best helps us understand where we stand.</p><p>[…] In the government and military, they may think that "voluntary evacuation" of Gaza's population will erase the crimes <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Israel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Israel</span></a> has committed so far, once Gazans find a better future elsewhere. The sad truth is that while such a forced migration operation has no practical feasibility, the ways in which Israel might try to implement it could lead to much more serious crimes - concentration in camps, systematic destruction of the entire area, and perhaps even actual extermination.</p><p>Hebrew <a href="https://www.mekomit.co.il/%D7%9C%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%96%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%A9-%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9D-%D7%90%D7%97%D7%93/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">mekomit.co.il/%D7%9C%D7%AA%D7%</span><span class="invisible">95%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9C%D7%A2%D7%96%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%A9-%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9D-%D7%90%D7%97%D7%93/</span></a></p><p>Rapoport is an Israeli journalist and former News Department head at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Haaretz" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Haaretz</span></a>. </p><p>The threat to concentrate an entire civilian population into a restricted area, declaring those outside it as potential targets, and the explicit threats of "complete destruction" for non-compliance with military demands, all potentially violate fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and protection of civilians during armed conflict. The Geneva Conventions specifically prohibit collective punishment, forced displacement of civilian populations, and making threats against civilian populations. These statements from officials describing plans that could lead to forcible transfer of a population from their territory should be examined for potential violations of international law. Preferably now, not after the fact. </p><p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/palestine" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>palestine</span></a></span> <br><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/israel" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>israel</span></a></span> <br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GazaGenocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GazaGenocide</span></a> <br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IsraelWarCrimes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IsraelWarCrimes</span></a></p>