Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, in order to lay siege to Hamas and force the release of hostages. <\/p>\n
It is unclear how many Palestinians remain north of the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two, but estimates run into the hundreds of thousands. The plan does not mention whether, when, or how civilians would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. After nearly a year of war, with no part of Gaza immune from Israeli airstrikes, Palestinians have been increasingly unwilling to heed Israeli demands to relocate. <\/p>\n
The idea comes from a group of retired Israeli military generals, who have formally presented it to the Israeli cabinet and a powerful parliamentary committee. The goal, they say, is to use siege tactics to starve Hamas fighters and force them to release 101 hostages still held in the territory. <\/p>\n
\u201cThose who leave will receive food and water,\u201d Giora Eiland, a retired Israeli military general who is spearheading the proposal, says in a slickly produced video posted online earlier this month. \u201cBut in a week the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will become military territory, and this military territory as far as we are concerned, no supplies will enter it.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is one of the plans being considered, but there are several others,\u201d he said, according to Kan. \u201cWe are committed to dismantling the civilian control of Hamas.\u201d <\/p>\n
It is unclear when the meeting took place. <\/p>\n
An Israeli official confirmed the veracity of that quote, but said, \u201cseeing it positively does not mean adopting it.\u201d <\/p>\n
The official said that the head of the Israel Defense Forces\u2019 strategic division will in the coming days present to Netanyahu \u201cseveral alternatives\u201d for how to \u201cdeprive Hamas of civilian control capabilities in Gaza.\u201d <\/p>\n
The public face of the proposal is Eiland, who had an illustrious career rising to the rank of major general and serving as head of the prime minister\u2019s National Security Council from 2004 to 2006. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality today in Gaza is that Sinwar is really not stressed,\u201d he says in the video. \u201cThe right thing to do is to inform the approximately 300,000 residents who remained in the northern Gaza Strip, citizen residents, of the following: Not that we are suggesting you leave the northern Gaza Strip, we are ordering you to leave the northern Gaza Strip.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIn a week, the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will become military territory. And this military territory, as far as we are concerned, no supplies will enter it. That is why 5,000 terrorists who are in this situation, they can either surrender or starve.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cDictators like Sinwar are not afraid of military pressure. They are afraid of two other things: a governmental alternative and the existence of an angry mob that can overthrow them.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Commanders and Reserve Fighters Forum, a group of retired and reservist commanders, has championed the plan \u201cto bring about a de facto change in the war situation.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIt will all depend on what will happen in the future,\u201d Retired Major-General Gershon Hacohen said in a text message. \u201cBut there is no indication in the plan that they will never be able to go back.\u201d <\/p>\n
The plan has been presented to the Knesset\u2019s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Meirav Cohen, a member of Knesset from the centrist Yesh Atid party, lambasted the government for allowing aid trucks into Gaza. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe only threat that they are facing is obesity,\u201d she said during a meeting with the pressure group, including Giora Eiland. \u201cIs this how we will bring our hostages back home? So I think that the plan that Giora and other commanders presented here is very smart. It sets clear rules. We have to implement it.\u201d <\/p>\n
In the letter addressed to Netanyahu and his fellow ministers, 27 of the 120 members of Knesset lament that \u201cwe have not yet reached the finish line in any of the goals defined by the War Cabinet.\u201d <\/p>\n
They call on the government to implement Eiland\u2019s plan in northern Gaza. \u201cAfter carrying out the program in this area, it is possible to carry it out in other parts of the strip,\u201d they say. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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