Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to besiege the northern Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, according to Hebrew media reports.
According to Israel’s Kan News, during a closed-door meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday, Netanyahu said that “there is logic [in the plan],” but added that it was one of several plans under consideration. “We are committed to dismantling Hamas’s civilian control,” he said, according to the report.
The proposal, named the “Generals’ Plan,” has gained traction in Hebrew media as the war continues to rage in Gaza and the Hezbollah threat from Lebanon grows in scope.
The plan was crafted by Maj. Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, a former head of the Israeli National Security Council, the IDF Operations Directorate, and the IDF Planning Directorate. It was also endorsed by a host of senior officers who have participated in the fighting in Gaza.
The Generals’ Plan has two stages. First, the evacuation of up to 300,000 civilians from the northern Strip within a week, clearing it of noncombatants; and second, imposing a strict blockade on the area in which no humanitarian aid enters and no entry or departure of persons is allowed.
Those who stay behind will be considered terrorists and legitimate military targets.
The blockade will be lifted only when the approximately 5,000 Hamas terrorists left in the beleaguered area surrender. This development will put real pressure on Hamas to accept a favorable hostage-exchange deal, the plan stipulates, and will bring it to the precipice of defeat.
The plan is also compliant with international law, the document states, as long as civilians are given reasonable time to evacuate.
One of the plan’s supporters, IDF Col. (res.) Hezi Nehama, told JNS on Tuesday, “We should never have allowed [Hamas] to control the humanitarian aid, and we should have initially entered the Gaza Strip from the Philadelphi Corridor,” referring to the border area separating the Palestinian enclave from the Sinai Peninsula.
“The Generals’ Plan is the only plan that can get us out of stagnation and will create enough pressure on [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar to force him into a hostage-swap deal on reasonable terms,” he said, referring to the 101 Israelis still being held captive in Gaza by Hamas.
