In the coming days, the IDF will present Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with several alternatives to the “partition plan” for humanitarian aid distribution in northern Gaza, with the goal of denying Hamas control over civil governance and the looting of aid, which is later sold at inflated prices.
This update was provided on Sunday by Major General Eliezer Toledano, head of the IDF’s Strategic Division, during a security briefing to the Cabinet. Toledano’s remarks came in response to a question from National Missions Minister Orit Strock, who asked why Israel does not put an end to the “vicious cycle” in which it allows Hamas to seize international aid entering Gaza, sell it at exorbitant prices, and thus maintain its rule.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karai also joined the discussion, stating that Israel must take control of the distribution: “It seems that the political issue that was in the air led to decisive action in the north. It’s time to also carry out what we’ve long advocated here—to strangle Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip.”
Toledano clarified that the defense establishment has plans regarding the northern Gaza Strip and that, in the coming days, different alternatives for replacing the entity in charge of distribution will be presented to the political echelon. One option discussed is for the IDF to distribute the aid itself, but IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi is strongly opposed to this. Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed this, saying that Strock’s criticism is valid and well-known and that he has instructed the issue to be examined to find alternatives that would strip Hamas of control over aid distribution.
IDF already a key participant
Since the outbreak of the war, the IDF, through the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), has been responsible for coordinating the aid in cooperation with aid organizations and the international community. Thus, after the aid undergoes a thorough security check at the crossings, it is collected by international aid organizations, who are responsible for its distribution at points pre-coordinated with the IDF.
Security forces operate at these predefined points to inspect the convoys and prevent armed takeovers of aid trucks. For instance, just yesterday, the IDF spokesperson reported that during an operation by the Tzabar Battalion forces, who are securing the humanitarian route, the soldiers spotted armed men looting a humanitarian aid truck. “In a swift operation, the forces directed drones that located the armed men fleeing in a vehicle, and they were eliminated by an Israeli air force aircraft. Another terrorist who fled from the vehicle was also eliminated,” the IDF spokesperson reported.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu also addressed the issue during a closed session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee held today, where he confirmed that Israel is considering the “Generals’ Plan,” initiated by retired Major General Giora Eiland, aimed at combating Hamas’s control over humanitarian aid in Gaza. However, according to Israeli sources, the plan does not currently have US support.
Earlier this month, the document titled “The Generals’ Plan” was revealed, led by the former head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate, with the support of dozens of senior officers, both current and retired. “As long as Hamas controls humanitarian aid, it cannot be defeated,” said Colonel (res.) Hezi Nechama, one of the founders of the “Commanders and Reservists Forum,” when presenting the plan.
Eiland’s plan
According to Eiland’s plan, the entire area north of the Nuseirat Corridor, meaning the city of Gaza and all its neighborhoods, would be declared a closed military zone. In other words, the entire population in the area, estimated by the army to be around 300,000 people, would be required to leave immediately through secured IDF routes. After a week in which the population would be given the opportunity to evacuate, a full military siege would be imposed on the area. According to the forum, this siege would leave the terrorists in Gaza City with one option—to surrender or die. The plan also included a reference to international law, stating that “the outline complies with the rules of international law, as it allows the population to evacuate the combat zone before the siege is imposed.”
The “Commanders and Reservists Forum” presented the plan to cabinet members and senior government ministers earlier this month, hoping that the political echelon would instruct the military to act in accordance with the proposal as soon as possible.
“The Commanders and Reservists Forum welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement of a discussion on the ‘Generals’ Plan,’ written by retired Major General Giora Eiland in collaboration with the forum,” the forum stated. “Since the plan was published, the forum has received hundreds of positive responses from across the political and military spectrum. We believe the defense establishment, along with Prime Minister Netanyahu, must adopt the Generals’ Plan to achieve the goals of the war—defeating Hamas and returning the hostages.”
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