Israeli spokesman speaks of plans to push Rafah’s civilians to 'humanitarian islands'

Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli army, said that there are plans to forcibly displace the more than one million Palestinians currently residing in Rafah, and push them into "humanitarian islands" in central Gaza.

The announcement comes as Israel continues to plan its offensive on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.

“We need to make sure that 1.4 million people or at least a significant amount of the 1.4 million will move. Where? To humanitarian islands that we will create with the international community,” Hagari told reporters at a briefing.

Hagari also said that Israel plans to "flood the area" with aid, including housing, food, and water — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the same term "flooding with aid" during a press conference on Wednesday.

The news comes as the US begins work to build a temporary floating dock in Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Rights groups have accused Israel of blocking the entry of aid via land routes for months.

Israel has forcibly displaced large swathes of Gaza's population multiple times during its war on Gaza, Israel has also bombed areas it had designated as "safe zones".