While the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could have provided an off-ramp for the conflict in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing vows of “ ” make this seem . The concept of “total victory”, however, is extremely problematic. Every time Israel declares an area cleared of Hamas and then withdraws, Hamas, which carried out the horrific attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has quickly returned to .
As a result, there has been a marked Israeli escalation in northern Gaza in recent days, and much discussion about a so-called “ ” being by some right-wing members of Netanyahu’s government. Concocted by a former Israeli general, , the plan is, in essence, to forego negotiations, bisect the enclave and give northern Gaza’s 400,000 inhabitants the bleak choice between . We don’t know whether Netanyahu will officially endorse the plan.
Israeli leaders US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week they are not implementing it. However, it nonetheless has among Israel’s political and military elite. The Israeli military has already issued to the people of northern Gaza.
The government has said anyone who remains would be considered a military target and will be . While Israel obstructing humanitarian aid, the World Food Program said entered northern Gaza for two weeks in early October. While some aid has been entering since then, thousands are still and outbreaks of preventable diseases.
Moreover, many Palestinians, including the .
