Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Human rights NGOs based in Israel have called on the international community to take action now to prevent Israel from forcibly transferring hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have remained in the Northern Gaza Strip outside of the area, including by denying entry of essential humanitarian aid and fuel.

The Israeli Ceasefire Coalition – comprising the groups Gisha, B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights and Yesh Din – said that there are alarming signs that the Israeli military is beginning to quietly implement the Generals’ Plan, also referred to as the Eiland Plan, which calls for complete forcible transfer of the civilians of the northern Gaza Strip through tightening the siege on the area and starving the population.

The NGOs reiterated the warning that states have an obligation to prevent the crimes of starvation and forcible transfer, and that if the continuation of the “wait and see” approach will enable Israel to liquidate northern Gaza, they will be complicit. They have added that all states and relevant international institutions should act now and use all tools at their disposal – legal, diplomatic and economic – to prevent this.

Image credit: Number 10 Downing Street – Creative Commons