Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering a plan to force Palestinians out of northern Gaza and push for the ‘surrender’ of the Palestinian Resistance. This criminal plot, proposed by a series of retired Israeli military generals, aims to transform Palestine’s northern Gaza into a so-called ‘military territory.’ Talk of surrender is nothing new: the occupation uses this rhetoric to threaten Palestinian solidarity, when the Resistance – and its regional allies – stand united in defense of Palestinian lives, liberties, and inalienable rights.

Several factors merit consideration as dozens of occupation parliament members – including three sitting ministers – press on Netanyahu to adopt the siege plan. First, "Israel’s" unwarranted strikes in Yemen, continued bombardment of Lebanon, and attempts to dial-up terrorism in northern Gaza, are all part of a larger, multifront war of "Israel’s" own making. Second, the plan is also a sign of growing domestic desperation for Netanyahu. His administration is keen to divert attention to the North, as striking failures on hostage release appear clear as day.

The pressure is mounting. Families of Israeli hostages continue to oppose Netanyahu’s hostage release rhetoric, and see it as an excuse to expand "Israel’s" onslaughts across Gaza and even Lebanon. Netanyahu’s latest plan to step up occupation terrorism in the north is an extension of this brutal approach and is overwhelmingly focused on retaining power at home. Scores of Israelis rallied once again in Tel Aviv, demanding a hostage swap deal while Netanyahu pushes for outright obliteration.

By contemplating occupation-backed terrorism in northern Gaza, the war criminal is simply adding to his collision course with the public. After all, it doesn’t change the fact that Netanyahu has consistently failed to paint himself as a champion of hostage releases, given his own role in scuttling indirect negotiations. Thus, Israeli plans to terrorize and lay siege on northern Gaza could expose more falsehoods in Netanyahu’s domestic hostage rhetoric, and extend more strategic rationales to a multifront resistance to act on.

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Let there be no doubt about "Israel’s" broader genocidal motivations in the North. For instance, the occupation is adamant on leveraging survival resources, such as food and water, as weapons of war against Palestinians once again. Early signs include condemnable remarks from Giora Eiland, a former occupation general, who has threatened to hold back supplies for Palestinians that wish to stay in the north. By opting for these measures in the name of combatting threats, Israel is willing to acquire a carte blanche for occupation-sponsored terrorism. Ramped up terrorism in the north also serves wider Israeli goals to control key corridors within the Gaza Strip, a condemnable move that runs counter to demands for a full Israeli withdrawal.

There is no justification for Washington’s criminal silence over "Israel’s" potential onslaught on Palestinians. Efforts to declare northern Gaza as a ‘closed military zone’ aim to entrench the occupation, derail future negotiations, and force occupation control over Palestinian lands. This is important because during indirect ceasefire talks, Washington has been very quick to call on parties to remove obstacles to a potential deal. And yet, it is making a criminal exception for "Israel’s" ongoing plans.

Washington shows no signs of confronting "Israel" as it gathers support for a terrorism campaign in the North, effectively threatening the security and safety of 300,000 Gazan residents. Where is the protest against potential starvation tactics or efforts to make Gaza’s North a new war frontier? This is the same genocidal regime that led a campaign of targeted starvation in Gaza, initiated a man-made famine, and prepared the ground for a wider regional war. Rather than preventing this drastic escalation in the North, Washington appears adamant on lending "Israel" more impunity. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently affirmed his ironclad support for "Israel", as billions in military aid tear US rhetoric on a ‘diplomatic solution.’ If Netanyahu presses ahead with the siege plan, US complicity could further endanger America’s military interests and defensive assets across the region.

Regional temperatures are already rising. From Lebanon to Gaza, war criminal Netanyahu wants to enforce continued destruction as the new normal, largely through violating the sovereignty of nations, entrenching "Israel's" occupation, and carrying out illegal assassinations without fear of consequence. That practice could meet new limits as Resistance forces in Palestine, Lebanon, and beyond signal convergence among themselves. This is amply evident in wake of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination in Beirut.

Netanyahu will be mistaken if he thinks that Gaza and the Middle East’s sovereign dynamics work on his dictates, or those of "Israel’s" warmongering parliamentarians. This includes members that wish to implement the northern Gaza siege plan to “other parts of the strip,” overlooking the will, legitimacy, diversity, and autonomy of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza and other occupied territories.

In sum, Eiland’s northern Gaza plan should be seen as a blatant attempt to expand Israeli terrorism under the pretext of countering it. While these diversionary tactics won’t weaken the Palestinian resolve in the least, they will fuel domestic backlash over hostages, further "Israel’s" regional isolation, and compel a multifront Resistance to mount future responses.