Israeli media claims Netanyahu plans to annex northern Gaza
A man reacts as Palestinians search for casualties a day after Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, Nov. 1, 2023. (Reuters Photo)
The Israeli-based newspaper Haaretz’s editor Aluf Benn asserted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is preparing to annex northern Gaza and establish Jewish settlements for Israelis in that area.
In his article, Benn stated that Israel has entered the second phase of the Gaza war and outlined plans for this stage.
“Israel will attempt to secure control from the north of Gaza to the Netzarim Corridor, which separates the north from the south. This area will be prepared for settlement and annexation gradually, depending on the level of international opposition.
If implemented, Palestinians in the north of Gaza could be displaced under the guise of hunger threats and life protection, as proposed by former National Security Council head, retired General Giora Eiland,” Benn wrote.
Benn noted that Netanyahu dreams of expanding Israeli territories and achieving this would mark an absolute success for him.
He recalled that last week, Netanyahu instructed the army to prepare to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza, replacing international organizations. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi expressed reservations, citing risks to soldiers and high costs, but Netanyahu did not change his stance.
Benn argued that if Israel controls aid entry, it could use this opportunity to permanently remove the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is seen by the Israeli right as an anti-Zionist project.
Netanyahu abandons Israeli captives to death
Benn also claimed that Netanyahu has given up on retrieving Israeli captives from Gaza, leaving them to die in Hamas tunnels. He suggested this move is intended to reverse the situation for Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas’s Political Bureau.
“The captives, instead of being a fortune that could yield a significant return from Israel, will be a burden to the Palestinians and a justification for Israel to continue the war and blockade,” Benn concluded.
