Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz quietly authorised rehabilitation work in southern Gaza two weeks ago, Israeli Army Radio has reported.
Netanyahu’s green flag to the work, which involves laying infrastructure for future residential housing, comes despite his repeated vows that reconstruction would not begin until Hamas is disarmed.
The report said the work is under way in eastern Rafah, inside Israeli military-controlled territory near the so-called Yellow Line separating Israeli forces from Hamas-held areas.
Netanyahu’s office, however, insists the project began months ago, describing it as a UAE-backed scheme for temporary housing “free of Hamas rule”, according to the report.
