Israel expands brutal offensive in Gaza's Jabalia under 'genocidal' General's Plan

Israel forces are expanding their brutal offensive in northern Gaza’s Jabalia camp after the army confirmed that soldiers from the Givati Brigade had joined the 162nd Division and were already operating in the area.

The Israeli military's X account posted images and footage of the Brigade’s tanks and soldiers in action as they opened fire on Palestinian homes.

In a statement, the Israeli army claimed it had "eliminated dozens of terrorists in incidents and airstrikes, and destroyed terrorist infrastructures in the area".

Eyewitnesses told The New Arab's Arabic-language site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israeli troops were carrying out raids and searches in all areas surrounding Jabalia, imposing a siege and preventing movement from inside and around the area - doing so via drones.

The intensified siege comes after a number of Israeli army leaders endorsed the so-called 'Generals' Plan', intended to rid northern Gaza of its Palestinian population through violent means, as well as categorising any remaining Palestinians as "Hamas fighters", thus subjecting them to attacks.

Ahmed Al-Tanani, the director of the Arab Center for Strategic Studies and Research told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the escalation in the north and Jabalia was "specifically linked to the urgent Israeli need to resolve many of the outstanding problems in the Strip after more than a year of continuing the war of extermination without the government succeeding in achieving its declared goals".

The plan, developed by Major General Giora Eiland, has been described as a "war of extermination more than a war of displacement", by political expert Ibrahim al-Madhoun in an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Hamas themselves have described the plan as "genocidal" and "depraved".

Israel's siege of northern Gaza remains ongoing for the 13th day in a row after it stepped up its operations there earlier in October.

The Israeli ground operation on northern Gaza is the third of its kind since its war on the territory began on October 7 last year.

Israel forces have opened fire and prevented Palestinians in the area from fleeing, despite imposing evacuation orders on them. Israeli bombardments, artillery shelling and airstrikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians since the intensification of the siege.

Hospitals are also no longer functioning, with patients and staff forced to leave.

On Thursday alone, at least 28 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli army’s latest massacre on Jabalia. Forces bombed the UNRWA-affiliated Abu Hussein Elementary School, which was sheltering scores of displaced Palestinians.

Israel forces have also prevented the entry of food and other basic necessities into the area since the start of October, starving approximately 400,000 Palestinians.

The country has also stopped processing requests from traders to import food to Gaza, according to 12 merchants based in the enclave, triggering the lowest level of imports since the start of the war last year, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The UN issued a warning on Thursday that nearly all of Gaza’s population of 1.8 million is experiencing "extremely critical levels of hunger".

A ceasefire has yet to be reached in Gaza, or Lebanon for that matter, despite efforts from several nations.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said there has been "no engagement at all" from Israel and Hamas for almost a month, following the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

"In the last three to four weeks, there is no conversation or engagement at all, and we are just moving in the same circle with the silence from all parties."

At least 42,500 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 last year by Israel's military onslaught. Thousands more are feared buried under rubble, while Israel's actions have been described as a genocide by many international bodies, experts and figures.