Israel is considering a strategy to employ siege tactics against Hamas in northern Gaza, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was quoted by multiple Israeli media outlets on Sunday. Netanyahu's office has not provided a response to a request for comment. The reports are based on unnamed sources from a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting. The proposed plan, which was initially presented by retired military commanders and supported by some parliament members earlier this month, involves instructing Palestinian civilians to evacuate northern Gaza, which would subsequently be designated as a closed military zone. An estimated 5,000 Hamas militants remaining in the area would then be subjected to a siege until they surrender. Army Radio reported that Netanyahu informed lawmakers during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that the plan is under consideration. Public broadcaster Kan quoted Netanyahu as stating that the plan "makes sense" and is "one of the options being considered, but there are others as well."

Israel has faced significant international condemnation for the humanitarian crisis resulting from its nearly year-long offensive against Hamas in Gaza. The majority of Gaza's population has been displaced. According to the United Nations, an estimated one million people—half of Gaza's population—are currently crowded into a designated humanitarian zone that comprises less than 15% of the territory and lacks essential infrastructure and services. Humanitarian access to northern Gaza, where the population is estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000 people, is particularly challenging, according to the United Nations.

The conflict was ignited when Hamas-led militants launched an attack into Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and the capture of another 250 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli figures. Since then, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the deaths of more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, with most of the casualties being civilians. Israel, which has lost 346 soldiers in Gaza, estimates that at least a third of the Palestinian fatalities are fighters.