Driven by hunger, thirst and fear of dying under the unpredictable fire of the Israeli army, are the inhabitants of Gaza being systematically pressured to give in to the regime and ultimately leave the enclave? While the idea of a Gaza without Palestinians has circulated among far-right circles since October 7, 2023, promoted by those who support the complete colonization of Gaza, the government had not taken concrete measures to organize the departure of the enclave's inhabitants. Now, as all conditions of life and survival for Gazans have deteriorated to an extreme degree, the possibility of depopulation has taken on a concrete framework.

Defense Minister Israel Katz formalized the outlines of this plan on July 7, announcing the government's intention to create a "humanitarian city" on the ruins of Rafah in the south of the enclave. Around 600,000 people are expected to be initially concentrated in this facility, which would be set up in an area that has been almost entirely razed. Once inside, there would be only one way out: to leave Gaza for a destination abroad.

The destruction of Gaza and the possibility of expelling its Palestinian residents are now advancing hand in hand. "I don't think there was, from October 7 onward, a defined strategy aimed at expelling Gaza's population," said Israeli political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin. "But the policy the government has pursued throughout the war seems inevitably to be leading to this situation. Versions of this idea have been put forward by political and military leaders, alongside [military] operations in Gaza whose goal was to make certain areas uninhabitable."

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