Over a dozen British NGOs accused the UK government of “failing to stand up for international law” after Israeli forces launched a renewed aerial and ground assault in northern Gaza, laying siege to residential areas and leaving 400,000 civilians trapped there.
In a strongly worded statement, the NGOs, which include major aid organizations such as Oxfam, Islamic Relief UK and Medical Aid for Palestinians, said on Tuesday that Gaza “is being erased before our eyes”.
“The government must demand that Israel end its heinous attacks, and take action to oppose any annexation or shrinking of Gaza,” they said.
“Its current silence is tantamount to complicity.”
The NGOs call specifically on the UK government to publicly oppose Israel’s forcible transfer of Palestinians and the annexation of northern Gaza and to suspend all arms transfers to Israel.
They also said the government should take “bold and concrete steps” to ensure that Israel complies with the International Court of Justice’s orders to prevent genocide and to implement the court’s advisory opinion not to aid Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.
“We reiterate our calls on the UK to end its potential or actual complicity in violations of international law,” they wrote.
“Northern Gaza is being wiped out”
On Sunday, the Israeli military said its forces had “successfully” encircled the Jabalia refugee camp and were operating in the area, after forcing residents to leave again during its third ground assault on the densely populated camp in northern Gaza since launching the war a year ago.
The last operation took place in May, displacing tens of thousands of people, killing hundreds, and causing widespread destruction.
The Israeli army has called on Palestinians in northern Gaza to flee to designated “safe zones” in southern and central Gaza as it begins a renewed ground offensive. But no place in Gaza is safe for Palestinians, including the so-called “safe zones”.
But as some Palestinians begin making the journey southwards, Gaza’s Interior Ministry has called on residents to ignore Israel’s evacuation orders.
“Israeli claims about the presence of safe zones in southern Gaza are lies as Israel commits crimes and massacres in all areas of the enclave,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We call on citizens in northern Gaza to ignore Israeli threats.”
Israeli forces have imposed a full siege on the Jabalia camp and surrounding neighborhoods such as Tal Al-Za’atar, Al-Sikka, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahia. Tanks and drone aircraft have blocked critical roads, including the junction leading to Al-Halabi Square in Jabalia, isolating residents who are already enduring relentless airstrikes and artillery fire. Several families are reportedly trapped under the rubble as rescue teams cannot reach them.
According to the UN, at least 400,000 Palestinians are trapped in northern Gaza. Palestinians attempting to flee the camp have also been shot at, according to residents and footage shared on social media.
Meanwhile, residents took to social media with frantic posts warning that “Northern Gaza is being wiped out.”
The “general’s plan”
The renewed assault comes amid fears that the military is implementing a plan conceived by retired Major-General Giora Eiland to empty northern Gaza of its 400,000 residents to make way for a “closed military zone”.
“The general’s plan,” which was launched in an Israeli TV campaign, calls for the ethnic cleansing of northern Gaza, warning that those that remain will face starvation.
“The right thing to do is to inform the approximately 300,000 residents who remained in the northern Gaza Strip… we are ordering you to leave,” Eiland said last month.
“In a week, the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will become military territory.”
Israel’s public broadcaster Kann reported that the renewed incursion on Jabalia could signal the implementation of the plan.
“The entire northern area of the Gaza Strip will be cleansed according to the generals’ plan – the entire population will be evacuated…and the entire northern area of the Gaza Strip will be declared a closed military area,” the network reported on Saturday.
In recent weeks, the plan was reportedly being considered by Israel’s government, with Reuters reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said it “makes sense”.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces issued expulsion orders for three main hospitals in northern Gaza – Kamal Adwan, al-Awda and the Indonesian hospital, giving them just 24 hours to flee.
The army threatened that if they didn’t leave, they would face “the same fate as al-Shifa hospital, with destruction, killing and arrest”, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health in Gaza according to the Quds News Network.
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