Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly weighing a plan to ethnically cleanse Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza, including Gaza City, according to a former Israeli military official cited by CNN.

Netanyahu is considering this as part of efforts to allegedly encircle Hamas and pressure the group to release captives, which would see the population of northern Gaza, already besieged by Israel, being further starved.

The plan would turn the northern Gaza Strip into a closed military zone, meaning any person refusing to immediately leave their home would be killed by Israel. The proposal was made by a group of retired Israeli generals.

According to CNN, it has also been presented to the Israeli cabinet and a key parliamentary committee.