Netanyahu, Katz quietly approve reconstruction work in "Green Rafah" - report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have approved the launch of infrastructure work in "Green Rafah," an area of eastern Rafah designated for a residential project for Palestinians outside Hamas's control, according to IDF Radio's Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh.

The decision was made about two weeks ago, at the same time as the decision to deploy a multinational force to Gaza, but it has not yet been disclosed. "Green Rafah" is located within the Yellow Line in an area currently controlled by the IDF, which has been fully cleared and sanitized and now stands empty. The infrastructure projects now approved will allow contractors and workers to enter the site to carry out earthwork, electrical, water, and sewer projects.

According to security sources, the contractors and workers will be Palestinians from Gaza who are currently undergoing security vetting by the Shin Bet for approval to enter the Yellow Line area. They are expected to be deployed in the field within a few weeks, or perhaps a bit longer.

The political leadership is not currently authorizing the placement of mobile homes or temporary structures in the area, at least until November 2026, after the elections. Work on the restoration is therefore beginning to move forward, but only to a certain extent, and is proceeding without Hamas having begun to disarm.

The Green Rafah reconstruction move comes as the Board of Peace advances other post-war arrangements in Gaza. The Guardian reported that the board has issued its first construction contract for a planned military site inside the Strip, intended to host a rotating contingent of about 150 Moroccan soldiers as part of new security arrangements. The contract, still pending final approval, was awarded to Arkel International, a company that has previously carried out projects for the US government in Iraq.