PM Netanyahu considers ‘Generals’ Plan’ to evacuate civilians, besiege Hamas in northern Gaza to bring end to war
Plan has various stages, including greater IDF role in humanitarian aid distribution
During a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly led a discussion regarding a plan to lay siege to Hamas forces in northern Gaza after evacuating civilians from the area.
“The Generals' Plan by retired Major General Giora Eiland is before us, and it is logical,” according to the KAN News outlet
The plan proposed by Maj.-Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland aims to combat the Hamas takeover of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and isolate the Hamas fighters in the northern part of the Strip.
According to the plan, referred to in Hebrew media as “the Generals’ Plan,” the entire area north of the Netzarim Corridor – that is, Gaza City and its surrounding neighborhoods – will become a closed military zone. This would require the evacuation of the entire remaining civilian population, which according to the IDF, is approximately 300,000. Following that evacuation, the IDF would be free to root out Hamas terrorists in the area, while also looking for hostages.
During the siege, the IDF would not allow any supplies into the siege area until the terrorists are eliminated.
The Generals’ Plan was presented to Cabinet members and senior government ministers earlier this month by the Forum of Commanders and Reserve Fighters.
The plan reportedly contained a reference to international law, noting that “the outline complies with the rules of international law, since it allows the population to evacuate from the combat zone before the siege is imposed.”
The forum congratulated Netanyahu, stating: “Since the plan was published, the forum has received hundreds of positive responses from across the political and military spectrum. We think that the defense establishment, together with Prime Minister Netanyahu, must adopt the generals' plan in order to meet the goals of the war, which are defeating Hamas and returning the hostages.”
According to various reports in Hebrew media, the Generals’ Plan is not supported by the United States.
One of the issues under discussion involved the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, which has been a problem since the beginning of the war. Israel has released multiple pieces of evidence throughout the war demonstrating that Hamas operatives seize humanitarian aid for its terror group's purposes, including reselling for profit.
“As long as Hamas controls the humanitarian aid, it cannot be defeated,” said Col. (res.) Hezi Nehama, one of the founders of the Forum of Commanders and Fighters in the Reserves.
While the IDF has previously declined to actively take part in humanitarian aid distribution across the Strip due to reservations on the part of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, it has begun to take a more active role, including appointing a new liaison for humanitarian aid distribution within the Strip.
During the meeting, Maj.-Gen. Eliezer Toledano said the IDF would present the Cabinet with several alternatives for humanitarian aid distribution in the Gaza Strip as part of the General’s plan. One of the possibilities being considered is that the Israeli military would distribute the aid, which Halevi opposes.
Besides the possible siege of Hamas forces in northern Gaza, Netanyahu recently suggested that increasing pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon could bring about a quicker resolution of the Gaza War and the return of the hostages.
According to reports, on Sunday, Netanyahu said that the IDF estimates about half of the remaining hostages in Gaza are still alive.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
