Montreal, October 18, 2024 - CJPME has sent a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urging Canada to stop Israel's plan for the liquidation and ethnic cleansing of North Gaza.
Click here to download the full letter as a PDF.
Dear Minister Joly,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to urge that you take immediate action to stop Israel’s openly genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing in Northern Gaza. All indications suggest that Israel is implementing the so-called “Generals’ Plan” to eradicate all Palestinian life in North Gaza. This plan, which relies on mass starvation, must be stopped.
We appreciate that your recent statement[1] on North Gaza used clear language to directly condemn the Israeli military for its attacks on civilians, including on the Al-Aqsa Hospital, the Nuseirat school and the food distribution center. Your statement also acknowledges how Israel is further restricting the amount of aid allowed into Gaza. Despite your statement, we believe that you need to do far more. The dire conditions intentionally imposed by Israel in Northern Gaza demand a radical change in Canada’s approach.
On October 6, 2024, Israel renewed its forcible displacement orders affecting 400,000 people in Northern Gaza. Many people have been effectively trapped in their homes due to relentless attacks from Israeli jets, drones, and snipers targeting anyone who attempts to flee or move within the area. For over two weeks, Israel has prevented any humanitarian aid from entering the North, obstructing access to food and health services.[2]
Palestinian[3] and Israeli[4] human rights organizations have raised the alarm that Israel appears to be implementing the so-called “Generals’ Plan,”[5] or Eiland Plan, which seeks to completely liquidate the Northern Gaza Strip, emptying it of all Palestinian residents. Israeli officials told the Associated Press that Netanyahu has “read and studied” the plan and that parts of it were already being implemented.[6]
According to the Generals’ Plan, Israel would order all residents in the Northern Gaza Strip to evacuate within a week. The area would then be turned into a closed military zone and cut off from all remaining access to food, water, and fuel. Anyone unwilling or unable to leave would be treated as a combatant. According to the plan, this would force Palestinians to choose to “surrender or die of starvation,” and then allow Israel to “enter and cleanse the area of Gaza City with almost no enemy.”[7] Several Israeli soldiers have confirmed to Haaretz that this plan is already underway, and that “whoever will remain in the north will be considered an enemy and will be killed.”[8]
Meanwhile, Israel’s political leaders have reportedly abandoned hostage talks and are instead “pushing for the gradual annexation of large parts of the Gaza Strip.”[9] Netanyahu’s Likud party and several Israeli Ministers are currently preparing for an event on “Preparing to Settle Gaza.”[10] There is no question that this is where Israel’s actions in Gaza are headed.
It was almost exactly one year ago that Israel imposed its first forced displacement orders that affected over 1 million Palestinian civilians, half of the entire population of Gaza.[11] Since then, Israel has repeatedly displaced the population, pushing them into smaller so-called ‘safe zones’ which it continues to target with attacks and massacres. With the latest developments, Israel is now turning North Gaza into a killing cage. Canada’s failure to take meaningful action in response to the initial orders has given Israel the green light to continue to dispossess and re-dispossess the Gaza population, leading to the situation facing North Gaza now.
It is not enough for Canada to simply call for a ceasefire or for all parties to “uphold their obligations under international law.” You are already well aware that Israel is not upholding their obligations but instead stands credibly accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity,[12] and even genocide.[13] Canada’s appeals to international law will continue to be hollow until they are backed by measures to hold Israel accountable.
Canada must demonstrate that it will no longer stand by Israel as that country engages in actions that amount to ethnic cleansing and genocide. We need Canada to break from this destructive relationship and put its full support behind measures that can stop the Israeli government and military in their tracks. Canada’s ongoing failure to stop Israel’s crimes in Gaza has encouraged it to escalate its brutality in the West Bank and Lebanon. Ultimately, Israel’s operations are a threat to global peace and security and are characterized by mass and systemic violations of human rights.
We have elsewhere detailed the measures Canada must take to force a ceasefire and comply with its obligations under international law.[14] As a starting point, Canada’s actions should urgently include:
- Economic sanctions – including a comprehensive two-way embargo on military trade with Israel under the Special Economic Measures Act; sanctions on Israel’s political and military leadership; and the cancellation of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) and a ban on trade with Israeli settlements.
- Diplomatic sanctions – including the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador to Canada and the cancellation of the Canada-Israel Strategic Partnership. Canada must also use a much stronger and condemning tone in its diplomatic statements commensurate with the gravity of Israel’s ongoing crimes.
- Measures for accountability – including public support for South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and supporting the request by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant.
The time for equivocating is over. There can no longer be any delusion that Israel’s actions in North Gaza are about “self-defence.” You must urgently take the above steps to stop the further escalation of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
Sincerely,
Michael Bueckert, PhD
Vice President
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
[1] Global Affairs Canada, “Statement by ministers Joly and Hussen on recent events in Middle East,” October 16, 2024, https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2024/10/statement-by-ministers-joly-and-hussen-on-recent-events-in-middle-east.html
[2] UN World Food Programme, “Critical food aid lifelines into northern Gaza severed,” October 12, 2024, https://www.wfp.org/news/critical-food-aid-lifelines-northern-gaza-severed; Oxfam, “Oxfam and aid organizations warn of dramatic escalation of humanitarian catastrophe following further mass forced displacement of civilians in northern Gaza,” October 15, 2024, https://www.oxfam.ca/news/oxfam-and-aid-organizations-warn-of-dramatic-escalation-of-humanitarian-catastrophe-following-further-mass-forced-displacement-of-civilians-in-northern-gaza/
[3] Al Haq, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, and Al Mezan, “Urgent Appeal: Stop the Renewed Wave of Genocidal Violence Against Palestinians in Northern Gaza Now,” October 16, 2024, https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/24780.html
[4] B’Tselem, Gisha, Yesh Din, and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, “Israeli NGOs warn international community it will be complicit if Israel forcibly transfers the population of Northern Gaza,” October 14, 2024, https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20241014_international_community_will_be_complicit_if_israel_forcibly_transfers_the_population_of_northern_gaza
[5] Meron Rapoport, “A plan to liquidate northern Gaza is gaining steam,” +972 Magazine, September 17, 2024, https://www.972mag.com/northern-gaza-liquidation-scenario-eiland-rabi/; Associated Press, “Netanyahu mulls plan to empty northern Gaza of civilians and cut off aid to those left inside,” October 14, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hamas-israel-generals-plan-eiland-gaza-219d7eb9a3050e281ccc032d5a56263c; Nadav Rapaport, “What is Israel's 'Generals' Plan' and what does it mean for the war on Gaza?,” Middle East Eye, October 15, 2024, https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/israel-gaza-palestine-what-generals-plan; Yossi Klein, “This Israeli Army General Has a Plan for Gaza: Starvation, Transfer and Genocide,” Haaretz, September 29, 2024, https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-09-29/ty-article-opinion/.premium/this-israeli-army-general-has-a-plan-for-gaza-starvation-transfer-and-genocide/00000192-39c3-dc91-a1df-bfcb66f80000
[6] Associated Press, “Netanyahu mulls plan to empty northern Gaza of civilians and cut off aid to those left inside,” October 14, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hamas-israel-generals-plan-eiland-gaza-219d7eb9a3050e281ccc032d5a56263c
[7] Middle East Eye translation of YouTube video unveiling the plan. Nadav Rapaport, “What is Israel's 'Generals' Plan' and what does it mean for the war on Gaza?,” Middle East Eye, October 15, 2024, https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/israel-gaza-palestine-what-generals-plan
[8] Amos Harel, “On Defense and Offense, Israel Given Another Reminder of Its Reliance on the United States,” Haaretz, October 16, 2024, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-10-16/ty-article/.premium/on-defense-and-offense-israel-given-another-reminder-of-its-reliance-on-the-united-states/00000192-91aa-dbf3-a1be-ddbb246c0000?lts=1729068431547
[9] Yaniv Kubovich, “Israeli Defense Officials: Gov't Pushing Aside Hostage Deal, Eyeing Gaza Annexation,” Haaretz, October 13, 2024, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-10-13/ty-article/.premium/israeli-defense-officials-govt-pushing-aside-hostage-deal-eyeing-gaza-annexation/00000192-8585-d988-a3ba-dde59a470000
[10] Noa Shpigel, “Netanyahu's Likud Party Issues Invitation to Event Titled 'Preparing to Settle Gaza',” Haaretz, October 16, 2024, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-10-16/ty-article/.premium/netanyahus-likud-party-issues-invitation-to-event-titled-preparing-to-settle-gaza/00000192-95b6-d9c2-a7f3-9db676f40000
[11] Associated Press, “Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israel orders 1 million to evacuate as ground attack looms,” October 13, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-c8b4fc20e4fd2ef381d5edb7e9e8308c
[12] International Criminal Court, “Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine,” May 20, 2024, https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state; United Nations, “UN Commission finds war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israeli attacks on Gaza health facilities and treatment of detainees, hostages,” October 10, 2024, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/un-commission-finds-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-israeli-attacks
[13] International Court of Justice, Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), https://www.icj-cij.org/case/192
[14] CJPME Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau: “Canada Must Comply with ICJ Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Occupation,” July 25, 2024, https://www.cjpme.org/letter_2024_07_25_trudeau_icj; CJPME Position Paper, “Leveraging Canada’s Arms Trade to End the Violence in Gaza,” Updated June 2024, https://www.cjpme.org/pp_2023_12_arms; CJPME Position Paper, “Canadian Diplomacy and Justice for Palestinians, December 2023, https://www.cjpme.org/pp_2023_12_accountability.