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Israel intends to keep all territories it has captured in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria under permanent military control.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Israeli army remains in Lebanon<\/strong><\/p>\n In Lebanon, Israel’s army continues to be stationed at five strategic points near the border.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Israeli troops also in Syria<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Israel justified the move by citing the need to combat weapons depots and supply routes used by Hamas and Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially described this as a “temporary measure.”<\/p>\n Israeli presence major negotiating sticking point<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n This applies to nearly 70% of Gaza, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres wrote on X. “I am very concerned as aid continues to be blocked, with devastating consequences,” he wrote on the platform.<\/p>\n Living space in Gaza is shrinking<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The office also fears the permanent displacement of the civilian population, which numbers more than 2 million, from areas designated as buffer zones.<\/p>\n According to Israeli human rights activists, houses, farmland and infrastructure in many areas have been destroyed to render them uninhabitable.<\/p>\n A story in the Wall Street Journal said that Israel has now taken control of about one-third of Gaza.<\/p>\n Hostage families: Katz’s plan is an illusion<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Relatives of the abducted hostages expressed doubts about the success of Israel’s strategy in the Gaza Strip in a statement.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Several people were injured in the attack, WAFA reported, citing medical sources.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said it was checking the report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n