Israel mulling reconquering northern Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the government may adopt the “Generals’ Plan” that outlines how to defeat Hamas.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC)  Sunday that he is seriously considering a proposal to take over all of northern Gaza to pressure Hamas to restart negotiations for a hostages-for-ceasefire deal.

The “Generals’ Plan” was presented to the government by the Commanders and Reserve Soldiers Forum early this month as a way to defeat Hamas altogether.

Besides turning the stretch from Gaza City north into a closed military zone after allowing all residents to leave via secured humanitarian corridors, it also envisions the IDF taking charge of all humanitarian aid deliveries.

No aid would be allowed into the besieged zone, forcing any Hamas forces left there after the evacuation of civilians to either surrender, starve or come out to fight the overwhelming IDF force that would greet them.

Israeli control over the aid would take away a huge source of revenue for Hamas, which has reportedly made hundreds of millions of dollars by stealing and selling the internationally-donated supplies.

It can thus provide for and pay its men as well, and tempt others to join its forces, needing the manpower desperately after 11 months of battle has left it denuded of most of its military might.

Perhaps more importantly, being the source of food and medicine is the way the terrorists group controls the population.

Losing permanent control over the aid and at least temporary control over the land is the only pressure tactic that will work to bring Hamas to its knees, according to Maj. Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, one of the key authors of the Forum’s plan.

The Generals’ Plan “makes a lot of sense,” Kan News reported Netanyahu as telling the FADC members, although he said there are “several” other plans being considered as well.

“We are committed to dismantling the civilian control of Hamas,” he said.

Still, he added, he was against annexing civilian areas wholesale.

He also said that he did not feel that Israeli military rule over Gaza was the preferred solution, although maintaining an IDF presence inside Gaza at least along the border was a must.

Handing the reins to the Palestinian Authority, run by the nationalist Fatah group, Hamas’ arch enemy, was no solution either, he contended, as the PA is just as anti-Israel as its foes.

On the other hand, attempts to encourage Gazan clans to assert control at least over their own localities had proven fruitless, he noted.

A few attempts made months ago by certain powerful families in the Strip had ended quickly after Hamas killed several members of the clans.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Sunday that the army has been asked to present the government with a plan of how it would take charge of aid distribution in the Gaza Strip.

Benjamin NetanyahuGaza humanitarian aidgaza stripIsrael-Hamas warnorthern gaza