Hamas is returning to power in northern Gaza, IDF Col. (res.) Hezi Nachman said in an interview with 103FM Tuesday morning, adding that the Israeli military isn't doing enough to stop it.
Speaking to Ben Caspit and Yinon Magal, Nachman, the former head of the Menashe Brigade, was discussing a letter to the war cabinet he and several other IDF commanders signed calling on Gazans not to be allowed to return home in the North until the hostages come home.
"We are a forum of 150 officers from all sides of the political spectrum with a very simple demand," he explained. "A directive was received to evacuate northern Gaza at the beginning of the war, and we demand that this evacuation be completed, and clearly state that no one be allowed to return home until the hostages are returned and Hamas is completely destroyed."
He explained that this was never fully achieved.
There are up to 500,000 people in northern Gaza, IDF col. says
"Today, there are between 300,000 to 500,000 people in northern Gaza, the IDF doesn't have enough troops to operate there effectively, Hamas is returning to power there, armed gunmen are roaming the streets, and life in Gaza is going back to the old routine, while residents of Be'eri and Netiv Ha'Asara can't go home," he continued. "The IDF is doing its best, but they hade a big mistake, thinking there were just 100-150,000 residents left in northern Gaza.
"It's impossible to distinguish Hamas terrorists from the general public. That's why we demand that the entirety of northern Gaza be evacuated. We can't allow for the market in Jabalya to look the way it does."
He added that "We need to do this, otherwise we will pay for it with interest," describing the entire area as a combat zone with numerous missions that still need to be taken care of.
Currently, the IDF's official position is that no one is making it back to northern Gaza, though they admit there was a mess up that allowed for a Hamas-led marketplace to open in Jabalya.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.