Netanyahu mulls over strategy to compell all Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza, aiming to encircle Hamas.
It's uncertain how many Palestinians reside north of the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which divides Gaza into two parts, with estimates hovering around the hundred thousand mark. The plan fails to mention any timeline, conditions, or methods for civilians to return to northern Gaza following a year of constant Israeli airstrikes, causing Palestinians to grow increasingly reluctant to comply with Israeli relocation orders.
The concept was proposed by a contingent of former Israeli military generals, who recently presented it to the Israeli cabinet and a significant parliamentary committee. Their aim is to employ blockade tactics to weaken Hamas fighters, forcing them to surrender the 101 hostages they're holding in the region.
Giora Eiland, a retired Israeli military general driving the proposal, declares in a promotional video uploaded online, "Those who abandon will receive sustenance and water. But within a week, the entire territory of northern Gaza will transform into a military zone. And this military zone, as we see it, no provisions or supplies will be allowed to enter."
Kan, an Israeli national broadcasting station affiliated with CNN, reported that Netanyahu, during a private meeting with the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, expressed support for the plan. However, he qualified his approval, stating, "This is one of the plans under consideration, but there are other alternatives as well. We remain committed to dismantling Hamas' civilian control in Gaza."
The date of this meeting remains unclear.
An Israeli government official responded to the news by affirming the accuracy of Netanyahu's quote, but added, "Solely expressing favorable sentiments does not equate to endorsing it."
This official further stated that the head of the Israel Defense Forces' strategic division would soon present Netanyahu with several possible strategies for dismantling Hamas' civilian control capacities in Gaza.
Urges to Adopt Plan
27 Knesset members, including three current cabinet ministers, penned a letter to the government urging the implementation of the plan.
Eiland acts as the public face of the proposal, having achieved the rank of major general throughout his distinguished career and serving as the head of the prime minister's National Security Council from 2004 to 2006.
In the video, Eiland asserts, "The current situation in Gaza is that Sinwar is not under stress. The proper action is to advise the roughly 300,000 northern Gaza Strip residents who remained, to depart the northern Gaza Strip."
Eiland warns, "Within a week, the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will evolve into a military zone. This military zone, in our view, no provisions or supplies will be able to enter. This is why roughly 5,000 terrorists residing in this area can either surrender or starve to death."
Eiland emphasizes, "Tyrants like Sinwar are not intimidated by military pressure as much as they fear two things – alternative governmental strategies and the presence of an irate population that can topple them."
The Commanders and Reserve Fighters Forum, an organization consisting of former and reserve commanders, has endorsed the plan as a means of altering the war situation.
It remains unclear where the senior leadership of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stands on the proposal. When contacted by CNN for comment, the IDF redirected our inquiries to the Prime Minister's Office.
The plan does not address the possibility of Palestinians ever returning to northern Gaza, according to one of its advocates, Retired Major-General Gershon Hacohen.
Hacohen clarified in a text message to CNN, "Whether they'll ever be able to return depends on the future. There's no obvious indication in the plan that they'll be permanently barred from returning."
The generals' group claims to have presented the plan to the Israeli cabinet several times. The Prime Minister's Office refused to confirm these meetings to CNN.
The plan has been presented to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Meirav Cohen, a Knesset member from the centrist Yesh Atid party, criticized the government for allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Cohen spoke during a meeting with the pressure group, including Eiland, "The only threat they're facing is obesity. Is this how we plan on bringing our hostages back home? I think the plan proposed by Giora and other commanders is smart. It sets clear guidelines. We have to enforce it."
In a letter directed at Netanyahu and his cabinet colleagues, 27 of the 120 Knesset members complained, "We have yet to achieve our objectives in any of the goals set by the War Cabinet."
They urge the government to implement the Eiland plan in northern Gaza. "Following its execution in this corner, it could potentially be executed in other areas of the strip," they wrote.
The generals advocating for this plan believe that weakening Hamas in the Middle East by implementing blockade tactics in northern Gaza could encourage the release of the 101 hostages they're holding. Global concern about the potential displacement of around 300,000 Palestinians living in northern Gaza echoes across the world, expressing fears about the impact on the broader Middle Eastern community and world's poor populations residing in this region.
