SAFA- 

 As devastation continues across the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian crisis in Rafah deepens, a proposed temporary shelter project led by the group known as the "Peace Council" has sparked growing concern among displaced Palestinians, many of whom fear the initiative could become a permanent mechanism of control rather than a step toward reconstruction.

Recent promises of rebuilding and economic recovery have reportedly given way to plans for a "New Rafah Camp" in areas controlled by Israeli forces and their allied militias, with the council overseeing the project. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the proposal represents more than a humanitarian initiative. It marks a significant shift in the council's role—from promoting reconstruction and development to administering a temporary housing complex under Israeli control.

The plans have fueled widespread suspicion about the political objectives behind the project. Palestinians displaced to Al-Mawasi and other areas, who have spent months waiting to return to their homes in Rafah, now face an impossible choice: remain in overcrowded displacement camps or move to a new settlement they fear could place their lives under permanent outside control.

Many residents have rejected the proposal outright, insisting they would rather endure the harsh conditions of displacement than accept a new security arrangement imposed under the guise of humanitarian relief.

"We will not move from one displacement tent to another tent under outside control," said Mahmoud al-Kurd, a displaced resident who now watches the outskirts of Rafah from afar.

"Moving to this camp would mean accepting life at the mercy of the Israeli occupation and the U.S. administration, which controls our fate from afar," he said. "This is not a shelter camp. It is an open trap designed to make displacement permanent and control every aspect of our daily lives. We refuse to live under their authority, and we will return to Rafah only as free people, even if we must live among the rubble of our homes."

Ruba Abu Sitta expressed similar concerns, saying that the proposed camp would strip Palestinians of their agency and place them under strict security supervision.

"Returning is our right, but returning to a camp surrounded by Israeli and international security barriers would mean willingly walking into a prison," she told Safa News Agency. "We are a proud people. We will not live in isolated enclaves where others dictate how we live. Either we return to our homes and live with dignity, or we remain where we are."

Mohammed Ahmed Awad echoed those concerns, saying that while residents support rebuilding Rafah, they reject any reconstruction plan that comes at the cost of their freedom.

"We support the reconstruction of Rafah, but we reject turning it into a prison for us," he told Safa. "Living in this camp would mean accepting renewed Israeli control over our lives and our future after everything that has happened. It is an obvious trap intended to facilitate displacement."

For Rami al-Kurd, whose family has spent months living in tents in Al-Mawasi, the proposal represents another attempt to determine Palestinians' future without their consent.

"We want to return, but we are fully aware that this could be a trap established by the Israeli occupation and the U.S. administration to control our fate," he said. "We will not accept any form of guardianship imposed on us."

Riham al-Bishiti said she rejects any initiative that could result in another wave of displacement.

"If the plan involves displacement, we are fully aware of it," she said. "We understand the occupation's attempts to impose forced displacement under the cover of our difficult humanitarian conditions."

Mohammed Salama, who lost his home in Rafah and now lives in Al-Mawasi, also opposed any arrangement that would place outside authorities in charge of residents' decisions.

"We will not contribute to the success of American or Israeli projects designed to reshape our lives according to their interests," he told Safa. "We will return to our land, but only under the conditions in which we lived before, without anyone controlling our decisions or our fate."

Ibrahim Afana, 63, warned that the proposed camp could become "another form of confinement, similar to what we are experiencing now in Al-Mawasi."

"Confining residents to isolated areas that are easier to control is completely unacceptable, including through the proposed Rafah camp," he said.

Mahmoud Abu al-Naja dismissed the proposal, arguing that previous attempts to impose displacement had failed.

"Others have tried and failed before," he said, expressing confidence that Palestinians would continue resisting any plan they believe threatens their right to return.

For many Gazans, the debate extends beyond the construction of temporary shelters. They view the proposal as part of a broader political struggle over the future of Rafah, insisting that reconstruction cannot come at the expense of freedom, dignity, or the right to return home. After more than 80 percent of homes in the area have reportedly been destroyed, many residents say they are determined that rebuilding should restore their communities—not replace them with internationally managed camps or new forms of control.