By hannover-web.com Israeli soldiers have been stationed at the northern Gaza border since May. According to reports from the Associated Press, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering implementing the “Generals’ Plan,” which aims to seal off northern Gaza and cut off humanitarian aid in a bid to starve Hamas militants, clear the area, and eventually establish a new government.
Over the course of the year-long conflict between Israel and Hamas, Israel has issued multiple evacuation notices for northern Gaza, with the most recent occurring on the 13th of the month.
Records from a public meeting indicate that a group of retired generals and high-ranking officials proposed the “Generals’ Plan” to the Knesset and Netanyahu in September. This plan calls for evacuating one-third of the northern Gaza area within a week, thereafter designating it as a military blockade zone. Those who remain would be classified as militants, which would give the military the authority to kill them and deny them access to food, water, medicine, and fuel.
The plan suggests that Israel should maintain indefinite control over the northern region, aiming to establish a new government free from Hamas influence, effectively dividing the Gaza Strip in two.
A knowledgeable official revealed that the Israeli government has already begun to implement parts of this plan, although specific details were not disclosed.
Giora Eiland, the chief architect of the plan and former Israeli National Security Advisor, stated, “They will either surrender or starve. This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to kill everyone. There’s no need for that. The north will be uninhabitable; the water will run dry.”
Eiland believes this campaign could pressure Hamas into releasing approximately 100 hostages.
However, human rights organizations have warned that this plan could lead to widespread civilian starvation and violate international law, which prohibits using food as a weapon and conducting forced evacuations.
So far, few Palestinians have paid attention to the latest evacuation orders. Many are elderly, sick, or too afraid to leave their homes, and numerous others worry that if they leave, they will have no safe place to go and may never be allowed to return. Israel has previously barred civilians who fled during the early stages of the conflict from returning.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department has expressed Washington’s opposition to any plans for a direct Israeli occupation of Gaza.
