On October 6th the IDF launched a new operation in the Jabaliya district of the northern Gaza Strip, where a previous round of operations had ended in late May.
“The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that troops had encircled Jabaliya amid a new ground operation targeting efforts by Hamas to reestablish itself in northern Gaza. […]
The fresh operation marked the fourth push into Jabaliya by the IDF since the start of the war a year ago. The most recent round of fighting there in May was described by the IDF and some officers as “intense” and the “most violent” of the war. […]
Amid the expanded operation, the IDF announced on Sunday that it was preparing to evacuate civilians from the entire north of Gaza, and would increase the size of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the southern Strip.
The zone, where the vast majority of the Gazan population currently reside, is where most humanitarian aid is being delivered. There are also field hospitals there.
The military also said it was opening up two evacuation routes for Palestinians — along the Salah a-Din road and the coastal road.
Some 200,000 Palestinians are estimated to remain in northern Gaza, after the IDF called for the entire region to evacuate to the Strip’s south early in the war.”
Six days later, on October 12th, the BBC News website published a report by the corporation’s international editor Jeremy Bowen titled “Israeli attack on northern Gaza hints at retired general’s ‘surrender or starve’ plan for war”.
Bowen tells BBC audiences that: [emphasis added]
“The suspicion among Palestinians, the UN and relief agencies is that the IDF is gradually adopting some or all of a new tactic to clear northern Gaza known as the “Generals’ Plan”. It was proposed by a group of retired senior officers led by Maj-Gen (ret) Giora Eiland, who is a former national security adviser. […]
In his office in central Israel, he laid out the heart of the plan.
“Since we already encircled the northern part of Gaza in the past nine or 10 months, what we should do is the following thing to tell all the 300,000 residents [that the UN estimates is 400,000] who still live in the northern part of Gaza that they have to leave this area and they should be given 10 days to leave through safe corridors that Israel will provide.
“And after that time, all this area will become to be a military zone. And all the Hamas people will still, though, whether some of them are fighters, some of them are civilians… will have two choices either to surrender or to starve.”
Eiland wants Israel to seal the areas once the evacuation corridors are closed. Anyone left behind would be treated as an enemy combatant. The area would be under siege, with the army blocking all supplies of food, water or other necessities of life from going in. He believes the pressure would become unbearable and what is left of Hamas would rapidly crumble, freeing the surviving hostages and giving Israel the victory it craves.”
Bowen goes on to claim that: [emphasis added]
“It is not clear whether the IDF has adopted the Generals’ Plan in part or in full, but the circumstantial evidence of what is being done in Gaza suggests it is at the very least a strong influence on the tactics being used against the population. The BBC submitted a list of questions to the IDF, which were not answered.”
The day after Bowen’s report was published, Giora Eiland told Israel’s army radio station that the ‘Generals’ Plan’ was not being implemented, including in Jabaliya. The day after that – October 14th – it was reported that Israel’s minister of defence had told his American counterpart that Israel is not using the ‘General’s Plan’ and would not do so in the future.
That, however, did not prevent the BBC from recycling the speculations and “suspicion” credited by Bowen to “Palestinians, the UN and relief agencies” in several other reports.
“US gives Israel 30 days to boost Gaza aid or risk cut to military support”, Tom Bateman & David Gritten, originally published 15/10/24:
“On Monday, Israeli human rights groups warned of what they called “alarming signs that the Israeli military is beginning to quietly implement the Generals’ Plan”, echoing widespread Palestinian concerns.
The controversial plan calls for the forcible transfer of all civilians in the north followed by a siege of the Hamas fighters remaining there to force their surrender and the release of Israeli hostages.
The Israeli military denies it is being implemented, saying it is only “getting civilians out of harm’s way”.”
“Bowen: US threat to cut Israel military aid is sign of anger at broken promises”, Jeremy Bowen, 16/10/24:
“Concern about northern Gaza has increased since Israel started its current offensive there.
The army’s actions have resembled parts of a plan put forward by a group of retired officers, led by Giora Eiland, a major-general who used to be Israel’s national security adviser. Eiland says he wanted a deal to get the hostages back and end the war early on. But as that didn’t happen, he believes more radical action is necessary.
Israel has already separated northern Gaza from the south with a corridor along Wadi Gaza that bisects the territory. Eiland told me that his plan was to open evacuation routes for a week to 10 days so that as many of the 400,000 or so civilians left in the north leave. Then the territory would be sealed, all aid supplies cut, and everyone left inside would be considered a legitimate military target.
A version of the plan appeared to be in place at Jabalia camp in the north, after it was sealed off by Israeli troops, tanks and drones.”
“How much food is Israel letting into northern Gaza?”, uncredited, 17/10/24:
“Israel insists that there is no policy of starvation in northern Gaza, but some have speculated that the fall in humanitarian supplies indicates the implementation of what Israeli media has dubbed “the Generals’ plan”.
Retired Maj Gen Giora Eiland recently told the BBC that civilians should be evacuated from northern Gaza, with the remaining Hamas fighters left with a choice to “surrender or starve”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted in an interview with Le Figaro that the “allegation that we are pursuing a deliberate policy of starving the population is completely baseless”.”
On October 22nd the IDF and Israeli political leaders again clarified that the ‘Generals’ Plan’ is not being implemented but BBC reports continued to promote the narrative.
“US top diplomat issues warning to Israel over Gaza aid”, Tom Bateman, 23/10/24:
“The official said Blinken also pressed the Israeli leadership over reports that its military has been implementing a so-called “generals’ plan” in northern Gaza – a tactic described as using mass forced displacement of civilians and a surrender-or-starve tactic against all who remain.
The official said the Israelis told them the tactic was “absolutely not” their policy, to which the Americans responded that their Israeli counterparts then needed to make this clearer publicly.”
“Gaza war’s ‘darkest moment’ unfolding in north, UN says”, David Gritten, 25/10/24:
“Many Palestinians believe the Israeli military is implementing out the so-called “Generals’ Plan” in the north, which would see the forced displacement of all of the estimated 400,000 civilians there to the south followed by a siege of any remaining Hamas fighters.
The Israeli military has denied having such a plan and that it is making sure that civilians get out of harm’s way. [sic]”
“One medic left at Gaza hospital as Israel says it arrested 100 ‘terrorists’”, Ido Vock, 28/10/24:
“Many Palestinians believe the Israeli military is implementing out the so-called “Generals’ Plan” in the north, which would see the forced displacement of all of the estimated 400,000 civilians there to the south followed by a siege of any remaining Hamas fighters.
The Israeli military has denied having such a plan and says it is making sure that civilians get out of harm’s way.”
“Gaza aid fears as Israel bans UN Palestinian refugee agency”, uncredited, 28/10/24:
“Many Palestinians believe the Israeli military is implementing a “surrender or starve” plan in Gaza’s north, which would see the forced displacement of all of the estimated 400,000 civilians there to the south, followed by a siege of any remaining Hamas fighters.
The Israeli military has denied having such a plan and says Israel says it takes steps to minimise civilian casualties, including issuing evacuation orders.”
BBC audiences have of course not been told who those “many Palestinians” are or on what basis they “believe” the speculations to which the BBC has chosen to provide such generous amplification. Neither have BBC audiences been adequately informed about the relevant issue of Hamas’ often violent efforts to prevent civilians from evacuating the Jabaliya area.
We of course do not know whether or not Bowen and any of the other abovementioned BBC journalists have bothered to ask themselves whether or not promotion of that entirely unverified narrative concerning supposed adoption of the ‘Generals’ Plan’ (and their amplification of it) is intended to serve the political and/or military purposes of certain actors.
What we do see, however, is that despite repeated clarifications from the IDF and Israeli officials, the BBC is quite happy to pass off insinuations and speculations based on ‘belief’, ‘hints’ and ‘suspicion’ as “news that you can trust” and “credible journalism”.
Hamas *allegedly* slaughtered 1200 Israelis and took 200 hostages on Oct 7th, 2023. But it’s all just a ‘speculation’ …