What is Israel’s Aim Behind the General’s Plan and Starving Northern Gaza?

The global attention has shifted from the devastation in Gaza to Lebanon, amid discussions surrounding Israel’s new strategy in its ongoing war, which has lasted over a year. This strategy is either aimed at enforcing surrender or starving the population, known as the “General’s Plan.”

A report by The Washington Post discussed Israel’s “new strategy in Gaza,” stating that under the General’s Plan, a new phase of the war is emerging, where hopes for a ceasefire or the release of the remaining Israeli prisoners held by Hamas are diminishing.

The report emphasized that “for a brief moment, attention veered away from the destruction in Gaza, as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon escalated, resulting in civilian casualties and the Israeli targeting of UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. The devastation seen in Lebanese towns and cities mirrors the destruction witnessed in Gaza.”

Simultaneously, a barrage of rockets fired by Iran against Israel has left the door open for potential Israeli retaliatory strikes on Iranian oil facilities and possibly the nuclear program, which could threaten widespread destruction across the Middle East.

However, recent events serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing tragedy in Gaza’s ground zero. Northern Gaza, having endured a year of relentless warfare, has become a new battleground for Israel’s punitive operations. Israeli forces have surrounded the destroyed Jabalia refugee camp in an attempt to systematically dismantle what they term the “terrorist infrastructure,” according to a statement by the Israeli military.

Israel has issued evacuation orders to approximately 400,000 remaining residents of northern Gaza, directing them to move southwards, where the displaced population remains densely packed and still under Israeli bombardment. Airstrikes have left dozens dead.

Relief workers have described the catastrophic scene, with Fares Afaneh, the head of ambulance services in northern Gaza, telling the newspaper via voice message on Sunday that the situation is “like hell.”

Afaneh added that Israeli forces are attacking Jabalia for the third time and have besieged Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. Jabalia has been “completely encircled.” Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported that thousands of people, including five of their staff, are trapped in the camp. Sarah Foilstiki, the project coordinator for the organization, said in a press statement, “No one is allowed to enter or leave; anyone attempting to do so will be shot.”

The Israeli military has declared that the siege will continue “for as long as necessary to achieve its objectives.”

This siege on Jabalia comes amidst the ongoing blockade on Gaza. Israel continued to reduce food aid shipments to northern Gaza in August and September, and in October, no food trucks entered the region at all.

Tharoor, a journalist, noted that such methods of siege and starvation could increase accusations against Israel of deliberately starving the Palestinian population. Michael Milstein, a former Israeli military intelligence official, questioned, “What is the strategic objective concerning the north?”

He added that if the residents of northern Gaza refuse to leave—and many may choose not to, given the widely held belief that there is no safe place in Gaza—they will be “starved to death.”

The United Nations warned in a press conference last Friday that Israel has cut off “vital lifelines” to northern Gaza. In some cases, overcrowded hospitals have been ordered to evacuate patients, including newborns in neonatal units.

A UN report last week mentioned a “coordinated policy” by Israel to “destroy Gaza’s healthcare system” as part of its war against Hamas.

Hossam Abu Safiyeh, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, commented, “There’s clearly a new plan to forcibly displace people from northern Gaza and dismantle the entire healthcare system.” George Petropoulos, the head of the Gaza office of the UN’s humanitarian affairs agency, said that a UN convoy carrying aid failed to reach hospitals in northern Gaza or evacuate patients from the area. Petropoulos added, “The Israeli military needs to understand that whatever long-term objectives they have, humanitarian workers must be allowed in to carry out their work in parallel.”

Israeli media reports suggest that a new phase of the war may have begun, with hopes for a ceasefire and a deal to release the remaining prisoners held by Hamas diminishing. This is accompanied by internal frustrations among some figures within Israel’s military establishment, who wanted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to present a clearer strategic plan to resolve the conflict, one that would intensify pressure on Hamas and garner goodwill from Israel’s neighbors.

In the absence of such a plan and considering Hamas’ ability to endure amidst Gaza’s ruins, some prominent voices have called for extreme measures. Some elements of one proposed strategy, referred to in Israeli media as the “General’s Plan”—which was suggested by a group of retired officers—may already be in motion, judging by the concerns raised by humanitarian groups in northern Gaza.

According to Haaretz newspaper, there is speculation that the retired general Giora Eiland’s plan, which revolves around either surrender or starvation, may be in the process of being implemented.

The plan, according to Haaretz, calls for relocating northern Gaza residents to “humanitarian corridors” in the south. Those choosing to remain in the north would be considered Hamas operatives and thus legitimate military targets. Those left in the north, the plan suggests, will suffer starvation.

This, according to Haaretz, constitutes a war crime, though no official Israeli statement has confirmed these policies.

The Associated Press cited an Israeli official as saying that parts of the plan are now being executed, without specifying which parts. A second official said Netanyahu had “read and studied the plan,” just as he had reviewed other proposals submitted during the war, but did not confirm whether he had adopted any of them.

Eiland, a critic of Netanyahu and his approach to the war, has discussed post-war plans for Gaza. In a previous interview, he said that the 400,000 residents of northern Gaza should be given a window of opportunity to leave, after which the entire area “will become a military zone.”

He added that Palestinians who remain—whether some are fighters or civilians—would face two choices: “either surrender or starve to death.”

From Eiland’s perspective, the goal should be to exert extreme pressure on Hamas, rendering them unable to continue, ultimately leading to the collapse of their military apparatus and forcing them to release the remaining prisoners.

For Netanyahu’s far-right allies, however, the destruction of Gaza’s neighborhoods and the imposition of permanent military rule over the enclave could be a prelude to new waves of annexation.

Earlier this year, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated, “Our heroic fighters and soldiers are destroying the evil of Hamas, and we will occupy the Gaza Strip.” He further added, “To be honest, without settlements, there is no security.”

According to Israeli media reports, Smotrich reiterated these calls for annexation and settlement during a high-level meeting last week.

An increasing number of Israel’s critics in the West fear that Smotrich’s vision, once seen as marginal, could soon become a reality. Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin warned on Sunday: “An entire population is being besieged and driven out, with nowhere to go,” adding, “This represents the mass expulsion of people from their homeland.”