Israel intends to keep all territories it has captured in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria under permanent military control.
The army will remain in the occupied “security zones” to act as a buffer between hostile fighters and Israel “in any temporary or permanent reality” in those areas, Defence Minister Israel Katz said, according to his office.
Unlike in the past, the army will no longer vacate territories, Katz said regarding the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has been fighting the Palestinian Islamist Hamas for over a year and a half with the aim of dismantling it.
Katz said that hundreds of thousands of residents had been urged to flee and some areas have been declared security zones, as Israel aims to establish a larger buffer zone along its border with the Gaza Strip.
Other Israeli-controlled “security zones” exist between the southern and northern parts of the Palestinian territory, as well as between the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
Israeli army remains in Lebanon
In Lebanon, Israel’s army continues to be stationed at five strategic points near the border.
Israel justified its presence by claiming that the Lebanese army had not moved in quickly enough and had failed to meet its obligations. Israel fears further attacks by the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Only a few months ago, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) had described its presence as a “temporary measure.” However, Katz has now stated that Israel will “remain in a buffer zone in Lebanon at five observation posts.”
The Lebanese government, on the other hand, is pushing for the complete withdrawal of the remaining Israeli troops from the country, as agreed in a ceasefire deal that came into effect at the end of November following a year of war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli troops also in Syria
Following the overthrow of Syria’s ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, Israel also deployed troops to Syrian territory near the annexed Golan Heights, specifically in a UN-controlled buffer zone between the two countries.
Israel justified the move by citing the need to combat weapons depots and supply routes used by Hamas and Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially described this as a “temporary measure.”
Israeli presence major negotiating sticking point
The announcement of a long-term Israeli military presence in parts of the heavily devastated coastal area is not new and is the main point of contention in indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas insists on the withdrawal of Israeli troops as a precondition for releasing more of the hostages it kidnapped from Israel and took to the Gaza Strip in October 2023, which provoked the current conflict.
The United Nations has said that about two-thirds of the Gaza Strip, which is also sealed off from humanitarian aid, is now either under Israeli evacuation orders or is considered a restricted zone by the IDF.
This applies to nearly 70% of Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote on X. “I am very concerned as aid continues to be blocked, with devastating consequences,” he wrote on the platform.
Living space in Gaza is shrinking
The UN Human Rights Office recently criticized that Palestinians are being forcibly pushed into ever smaller areas where they have little or no access to water, food or shelter.
The office also fears the permanent displacement of the civilian population, which numbers more than 2 million, from areas designated as buffer zones.
According to Israeli human rights activists, houses, farmland and infrastructure in many areas have been destroyed to render them uninhabitable.
A story in the Wall Street Journal said that Israel has now taken control of about one-third of Gaza.
Hostage families: Katz’s plan is an illusion
The Israeli government appears to believe its hardline approach will succeed, with Katz stating that the pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal is immense.
In addition, for the first time, Egypt has reportedly made the disarmament of Hamas a condition for a comprehensive agreement and the end of the war, though there has been no official confirmation from Cairo.
Relatives of the abducted hostages expressed doubts about the success of Israel’s strategy in the Gaza Strip in a statement.
Katz’s plan is an illusion, the Hostage Families Forum said. They accused Israel of prioritizing the capture of territories over the fate of the hostages.
The families reiterated their demand for a deal with Hamas to secure the release of the hostages, even if such an agreement would mean the end of the war.
Meanwhile, at least 10 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a house in northern Gaza, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Wednesday.
Several people were injured in the attack, WAFA reported, citing medical sources.
The Israeli military said it was checking the report.