Gaza (QNN)- The Israeli military is reportedly planning to launch a renewed assault on Gaza in March. The offensive would focus on Gaza City, with the aim of pushing the so-called “Yellow Line” westward toward the coast, forcibly displacing Palestinians and occupying the City.
The Times of Israel, citing an Israeli official and an Arab diplomat on Saturday, said the plan will not be able to go forward without the support of the US, which is still trying to advance the fragile ceasefire reached in October to a second phase.
The report said ICC-wanted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not believe that they will be successful in moving to the second phase and has accordingly directed the military to prepare for the plan.
On October 10, the Israeli forces completed the first phase of withdrawal under the ceasefire deal to the “yellow line,” a non-physical demarcation line separating the Israeli occupation forces from certain areas of Gaza, while maintaining control of roughly 53 percent of the Strip.
The Gaza City assault planned for March would see Israel increase that percentage, the Israeli official and Arab diplomat said.
Some details of this planned offensive were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Erez Winner, a research fellow at the Israel Centre for Grand Strategy, told The Journal that an offensive against Gaza would now be easier for Israel because Israel no longer has to worry about putting captives at risk, as it claimed, now that all the living captives and all but one captive’s body have been returned by Hamas.
He added that it would also be easier for Israel to forcibly displace Palestinians because most of them are sheltering in makeshift tents, with one possibility being to bring them to the Israeli-controlled part of the enclave.
Possible strategies mentioned by The Journal include an Israeli takeover of Gaza City or a slower, piece-by-piece takeover of the entire enclave.
According to reports, Israeli forces have been squeezing Palestinians into ever smaller clusters of the enclave, with residents of some areas of Gaza City saying the military is expanding their control beyond the line denoted by yellow blocks.
Over the past days, the Israeli military has been expanding the “yellow line” in eastern Gaza, particularly in eastern Gaza City’s Tuffah, Shujayea, and Zeitoun neighbourhoods, according to reports.
Israel has violated the ceasefire more than 1000 times since it took effect, killing hundreds of civilians and blocking much-needed aid from entering the enclave.
