Leaked map reveals Israeli plans to put civilians in Gaza into three controlled strips of land
Israel plans to put Gazans into three civilian areas cordoned-off by four military zones if a ceasefire agreement is not reached, reports citing leaked plans suggest.
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The map, which has been seen by the Sunday Times, shows four Israeli military areas in the north, south, and centre of the Gaza Strip, with three civilian zones sandwiched between.
Civilians will be forbidden to travel between the areas without permission.
Goods transported between the zones will be required to undergo security checks, including photo identification or bar codes.
The planned restrictions would prevent Gazans from moving freely throughout the strip and may separate civilians from their homes, say foreign companies responsible for the distribution of humanitarian aid, who were briefed on the plan.
The plan will also create a new military corridor between southern and central Gaza, which appears to be narrower than the existing 2.5-mile Netzarim corridor.
Read More: Israel launches major ground offensive to 'seize and control' areas in Gaza
Sources indicate that army bulldozers will soon begin to flatten homes and infrastructure to clear land for construction.
The map also reveals that the northern military zone will be expanded to make way for roads and army staging areas.
A perimeter of white surrounding the Gaza Strip represents a widened buffer zone between Israel and Gaza.
The map also shows 12 sites dotted within the civilian zones that indicates locations where humanitarian aid will be provided, part of a widely criticised Israeli plan under which private companies will be responsible for the distribution of humanitarian aid. This plan has been endorsed by the United States.
Checkpoints previously used to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza were sealed by Israel on March 2.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have refused to confirm or deny the details of the leaked proposal.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that there would be a new "intensified" offensive in Gaza, should both sides fail to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The planned civilian zones contain the cities of Gaza City and Khan Yunis.
The creation of the new army zones in the centre of the strip and the expansion of the military zone in the north will take at least three weeks.
The operation marks the first stage of a long-term plan to "capture" Palestinian territory, approved by the Israeli security cabinet earlier this month.
The IDF yesterday announced the beginning of a new military offensive, named Operation Gideon's Chariots, which will mobilise its troops to seize control of "strategic areas" in Palestinian territory.
António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, said he was "alarmed" by the expansion of Israel's military operations.
The latest round of ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel began in Doha on Saturday. A Hamas official told Reuters the two sides were talking without "pre-conditions".
The Hamas-run health ministry and civil defence officials said Israeli jets have bombed sites across Gaza in the last few days, killing more than 250 people.