Opinion: The Gaza playbook: Israel's five-step ethnic cleansing strategy

The notion of "Greater Israel" represents a foundational goal of Zionism and the Israeli political elite.

For decades, Israel has worked to carry out the mass transfer of Arab populations from historic Palestine. 

For Israel's current leadership, as well as large swathes of Israeli society, the war on Gaza has presented what they see as a pivotal opportunity: the chance to remove Palestinians from Gaza once and for all.

Since the beginning of the war in October 2023, Israel has signalled its desire to rid Gaza of its Palestinian population. For most of the war, however, Israeli leaders have been hesitant to state the plan - which amounts to ethnic cleansing - explicitly.

As Israel moves closer to implementing its overarching goal, it is important to examine its path towards ethnic cleansing, which follows a comprehensive five-step programme.

Read more: The Gaza playbook: Israel's five-step ethnic cleansing strategy by Mohamad Elmasry