Middle East Eye reports:

The architect of Israel’s so-called Generals’ Plan to depopulate northern Gaza has described the country’s war in the enclave as an “absolute failure”.

The original plan, also known as the Eiland Plan after its creator Giora Eiland, a retired major general and former head of the Israeli National Security Council, was seen by Palestinians and rights groups as part of a long-term project of ethnic cleansing that would result in the restablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.

However, writing in a comment piece for Ynet, Eiland said that Israel had failed to achieve its aims in Gaza.

“Israel has failed in three-and-a-half out of the four goals of the war: we have not demolished Hamas’ military power; we have not overthrown Hamas’ rule; we are not managing to return the residents… safely to their homes [in Israel], and as for the return of the abductees, the fourth goal – we have partially succeeded,” he wrote.

He claimed Hamas had, conversely, “achieved all of its goals, chief among them: continuing its rule in Gaza.” [Continue reading…]