Israeli Ministers, MKs Urge Netanyahu To Expel Palestinian Civilians From Northern Gaza and ‘Cleanse’ the Area

The plan would involve ordering an evacuation and imposing a complete siege on the area of Gaza north of the Netzarim Corridor

A group of 27 Israeli ministers and members of the Israeli Knesset have sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him to expel Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza and impose a complete siege to “cleanse” the area.

The Israeli ministers and lawmakers called for the Israeli Security Cabinet to adopt a plan known as the “General’s Plan,” which outlines a way for Israel to conquer the territory north of the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land that’s under control of the Israel military and separates northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the “General’s Plan” involves four stages:

  • Transferring the civilian population in northern Gaza to the south of the Netzarim corridor
  • Blocking all aid and initiating a full siege of northern Gaza and pronouncing it a “closed military zone”
  • Preventing deliveries to the area until it is “cleansed” and the remaining Hamas fighters are defeated by applying “intense” military pressure
  • Conducting a similar procedure in other areas of the Gaza Strip

If carried out successfully, the plan would result in the ethnic cleansing of northern Gaza and other areas where it’s implemented, paving the way for Jewish settlements. Many Israeli ministers and MKs openly support re-establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Many Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza would likely ignore any evacuation order since there’s nowhere for them to go, and Israel has repeatedly bombed so-called “safe zones” throughout the genocidal war. That means any remaining Palestinian civilians in the north would be killed or starved to death by the Israeli military.

The Post said the letter to Netanyahu was signed by Women’s Advancement Minister and Social Equality Minister May Golan, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, and Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli. It was also signed by MKs from Netanyahu’s Likud party, the Religious Zionism party, and the Jewish Power party.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.