Leaked map reveals plan to split Gaza into three military-controlled strips

A leaked 'Israeli' military proposal to carve Gaza into tightly controlled civilian strips separated by occupied zones has raised international alarm, as ceasefire talks with Hamas hang in the balance.

The plan, detailed in a map obtained by The Sunday Times and shared with diplomats and humanitarian organizations, outlines a strategy to divide the devastated territory into three civilian areas cordoned off by four military zones in the north, center, and south.

According to the report, civilians would be barred from moving between these sections without 'Israeli' permission, with security measures such as photo identification or barcodes imposed on goods.

The restrictions could sever Palestinians from their homes and land, warned foreign companies tasked with managing humanitarian aid distribution. Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) declined to confirm or deny the proposal’s details.

The plan, dubbed “Stage Three: the complete takeover of Gaza,” aligns with a new IOF offensive codenamed Gideon’s Chariots, aimed at seizing control of the entire strip. The operation, already underway, has killed over 250 people in recent days, according to Gaza’s health ministry and civil defense officials.

The map reveals plans for a new military corridor between southern and central Gaza, narrower than the existing 2.5-mile-wide Netzarim corridor, with army bulldozers set to flatten the area for military infrastructure.

In the north, above Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, an expanded military zone will accommodate roads and staging areas, while a widened buffer zone will encircle Gaza’s perimeter. The clearing of these zones is expected to take three weeks, marking the first phase of a long-term strategy to entrench 'Israeli' control.

Humanitarian aid distribution, a contentious element of the plan, would be managed by private companies under 'Israeli' oversight, mirroring privatized security checkpoints in the West Bank.

The map indicates 12 aid distribution sites within civilian zones, but critics, including UN officials, argue this setup risks weaponizing aid. 'Israel’s' closure of aid checkpoints on March 2, cited as pressure on Hamas to release captives, has already choked Gaza’s supply lines.

The proposal follows Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s pledge for an “intensified” offensive if ceasefire talks in Doha fail. A new round of negotiations began Saturday, with Hamas official Taher al-Nono telling Reuters that discussions were proceeding without preconditions.

Arab leaders, meeting in Baghdad, called for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded aid access, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres labeled 'Israel’s' actions a “mockery of international law” on X, decrying Gaza’s “beyond inhumane” conditions.

As 'Israeli' jets continue to pound Gaza and mass evacuations push civilians toward Rafah’s crowded north, the leaked plan has intensified fears of a permanent military occupation, further displacing and confining Palestinians in their own territory.