Egyptian Contractors Enter Gaza for UAE-Funded Housing Project

Egyptian contractors entered the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on Tuesday to conduct engineering surveys for infrastructure work as part of the UAE-funded "Green Rafah" housing project. The entry into the area, located east of the city, occurred two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the UAE and his meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The contractors' presence was coordinated with the Israeli military's Southern Command and conducted under aerial surveillance, according to the Israeli army radio.

The Israeli political echelon has approved the advancement of the "Green Rafah" project, which is slated to house tens of thousands of Gazans in a zone outside Hamas control and under the supervision of a multinational force. This approval comes despite previous statements by Netanyahu and Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz that reconstruction in Gaza would not begin before Hamas is disarmed. The project is funded and managed by the UAE.

This development follows earlier reports from August that Netanyahu and Katz had greenlit infrastructure work in eastern Rafah, a decision reportedly made in late July concurrently with the approval for a multinational stabilization force to enter Gaza, though it was not officially announced at the time. The "Green Rafah" project aims to establish a residential area for Palestinians in eastern Rafah, in a zone free from Hamas control, with residents undergoing security checks to ensure no affiliation with the group. This area is intended as a pilot for the multinational force's operations.

The initial phase of the project includes land preparation, grading, and the establishment or extension of water and sewage networks, along with electrical work. Notably, Netanyahu's office previously denied parts of an army radio report, stating that the project was a "pilot project with Emirati funding" that began months prior, aimed at creating a tent complex free from Hamas rule, with work supervised by the army rather than Gaza-based contractors.