Al Mawasi area: The alarming reality of Israel's displacement 'safe zone'

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Here is Al Mawasi: An area not exceeding 14 square kilometers, turned by the Israeli occupation into a displacement hotspot, repeatedly urging Palestinians to go there under the pretext of it being a safe zone.

Al Mawasi, constituting about three percent of the Gaza Strip's area, extends between the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern part of the sector. 

It consists of desert sands interspersed with some agricultural lands. The area is not qualified to accommodate refugees in terms of infrastructure or residential buildings. 

This was the experience of those who arrived there under Israeli pressure, which claimed that the area was safe and had the necessary living conditions.

The story of displacing Palestinians to Al Mawasi was planned by Israel in the past November. Israel claimed coordination with the United Nations regarding this matter. 

In response, UNRWA, the international agency, described Israel's statements as false in a letter addressed to Israeli ministers Eli Cohen and Yoav Gallant, stating:

- A humanitarian or safe zone cannot protect civilians unless all parties to the conflict agree to establish such a zone.
- Displaced persons must receive the necessities for survival, including food, water, shelter, cleanliness, and health.
- No party has the right to invoke the existence of a humanitarian or safe zone to neglect or ignore its obligations towards civilians outside it.

The Israeli displacement plan continues to this day. If implemented, it would make Al Mawasi, a small area, one of the most densely populated regions in the world, with estimates reaching up to 157,000 people per square kilometer.

 Al Mawasi is only 5 kilometers away from the Egyptian border, where discussions about an Israeli attempt to transfer Palestinians there persist, a transfer vehemently rejected by both Egypt and the residents of the Gaza Strip.