CNN reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan that would lead to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza.

The report added, quoting the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation "Kan", that during a closed meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Netanyahu said that the plan is "very logical."

"It is one of the plans being considered, but there are many others," Netanyahu added. "We are committed to dismantling Hamas's civilian control."

The ethnic cleansing plan is known as the "General's Plan" because it was devised by retired Israeli generals, including Giora Eiland, who posted a video on YouTube explaining the idea.

The plan includes four steps:

· Transfer of the civilian population in northern Gaza to the south of the Netzarim corridor.

· Preventing the arrival of aid and imposing a complete siege on northern Gaza, declaring it a “closed military zone.”

· Preventing aid from entering the area until it is “cleansed” and the remaining Hamas fighters are defeated through the application of “intense” military pressure.

· Similar procedure in other areas of the Gaza Strip.

In the video, Eiland said that the evacuation order for civilians would not be optional. “The right thing to do is to inform the approximately 300,000 residents who remained in northern Gaza, the resident citizens, of the following: We are not suggesting that you leave northern Gaza, we are ordering you to leave northern Gaza,” he said.

“Within a week, the entire territory of northern Gaza will become a military zone. And this military zone, as far as we are concerned, no supplies will enter it. That is why 5,000 terrorists in this situation will either surrender or starve to death,” Eiland added.

Many Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza are likely to ignore any evacuation order as they have nowhere to go, and Israel has repeatedly bombed so-called “safe areas” throughout the genocidal war. This means that any Palestinian civilians remaining in the north will be killed or starved to death by the Israeli military.

If the ethnic cleansing is completed, it could pave the way for Jewish settlements. Many Israeli ministers and Knesset members publicly support the re-establishment of settlements in the Gaza Strip.

A group of 27 MKs, including three ministers, recently sent a letter to Netanyahu urging him to adopt the “General’s Plan.” The letter was signed by members of Netanyahu’s Likud party, the Religious Zionism party, and the Jewish Power party.