“The Island”… What do we know about Israel’s latest plans for northern Gaza?

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As the ceasefire fades, senior officials in the Israeli army are considering adopting a plan that would transform northern Gaza into an area under Israeli military control.

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Under the title “The Generals’ Plan” or “The Island Plan,” retired Israeli generals presented the plan earlier this month.

Regarding the plan, Israeli broadcasting reported on Thursday evening: “Senior Israeli army officials are studying a plan to turn northern Gaza into a military zone.”

It added: “The plan was developed by the former head of the National Security Council, Major General (Res.) Giora Eiland, and the Israeli army is considering adopting at least parts of it.” It also revealed that “in recent days, the army has gathered a number of supporters for the plan, now known as the Island Plan.”

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It continued: “At the beginning of the month, the reserve general, who was also the head of the Israeli army‘s operations department, presented the plan, which he believes will lead to Hamas‘s defeat.”

According to his plan, the Israeli army will evacuate over 200,000 Gaza residents from northern Gaza and turn the entire northern region into an area under full Israeli military control. Israeli broadcasting said, “If the plan is approved by the Israeli army and political level, it is expected to be a dramatic move in the war.”

It added, “About one-third of Gaza will be taken from its residents, believing that the fighters remaining in the area will have to surrender or be eliminated.”

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The Generals’ Plan

The “Generals’ Plan,” presented to the Israeli political level earlier this month, assumes that the current strategy of airstrikes on Gaza is not effective enough to destabilize Hamas or apply enough pressure on the organization to release the 101 hostages it still holds.

According to the plan, the entire area north of the Netzarim corridor (central Gaza), including Gaza City and all its neighborhoods, will become a closed military zone. All residents, estimated by the army to be around 250,000 people, will have to leave immediately.

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After giving the residents a week to evacuate, a complete military blockade will be imposed, leaving Gaza’s fighters with the choice of surrendering or dying.

The generals’ forum that prepared the plan believes it “complies with international law as it allows civilians to evacuate the area before the blockade is imposed.” According to them, Israel must allocate humanitarian housing complexes for the residents and impose a blockade on northern Gaza.

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In a promotional video, Eiland said: “We have designated two safe corridors for evacuation, which will be secured by the Israeli army. Those who leave will receive food and water. But within a week, the entire northern Gaza will become a military zone, and as far as we’re concerned, no supplies will enter this military zone.”

He added: “Therefore, the 5,000 fighters in this area will either surrender or starve to death.”

Dividing Gaza into Two Parts

Aluf Benn, editor-in-chief of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, views the Israeli right-wing’s push towards dividing Gaza into two parts while maintaining Israeli control over the Philadelphi Route along the Gaza-Egypt border.

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Benn stated: “Control of the Philadelphi Route and the security corridor along the border allows Israel to encircle Gaza’s land borders and isolate it from Egypt.”

He added: “By controlling the Netzarim route, Israel effectively separates northern Gaza, where only a few Palestinians remain whose homes and infrastructure have been destroyed, from the southern part of the coastal enclave, which is filled with refugees from across the sector.”

He continued: “In practice, a long-term arrangement for the day after is being put in place, with Israel controlling northern Gaza and expelling the 300,000 Palestinians still present there.”

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He added: “Reserve Major General Giora Eiland, a war theorist, suggests starving them to death or exiling them as a means to defeat Hamas.”

He further noted that the Israeli right-wing envisions establishing Jewish settlements in the area, with tremendous real estate potential due to favorable terrain, a sea view, and proximity to central Israel.

He pointed out: “The experience of occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem for 57 years indicates that this is a long process requiring considerable patience and diplomatic maneuvering.”

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He said: “A large Jewish city won’t be built in Gaza overnight, but progress will be made acre by acre, mobile home by mobile home, settlement by settlement—just as happened in Hebron, Elon Moreh, and Gush Etzion in the West Bank.”

He added: “The southern part of Gaza will be left to Hamas, which will have to care for the impoverished population under Israeli siege, even after the international community loses interest and shifts to other crises.”

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He continued: “Netanyahu firmly believes that after the U.S. elections, the influence of pro-Palestinian demonstrators on American politics will diminish, even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins (…) It is natural for Netanyahu to expect freedom of action in Gaza if Donald Trump overturns the table and returns to the White House.”

He concluded: “Don’t confuse the two: occupation is the goal Netanyahu is fighting for, even if it means the death of the remaining hostages and despite the risk of a regional war. The pillars supporting his regime, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, will remain in place as long as he seeks, through both words and actions, a permanent occupation and creeping annexation of Gaza.”