Israeli troops will stay stationed in the buffer zones they have established within Gaza even after a resolution to end the war is reached, Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed, as efforts to restart ceasefire negotiations struggled, reports RTE.
Since military actions resumed last month, Israeli troops have established a large “security zone” stretching deep into Gaza, compressing over two million Palestinians into increasingly confined areas in the southern region and along the coast.
“Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” Mr Katz said in a statement following a meeting with military commanders, reports RTE.
“The IDF will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and the communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza – as in Lebanon and Syria.”
In a summary of recent operations, Israel’s military said it currently has control over 30% of the Gaza Strip.
In southern Gaza specifically, Israeli troops have taken control of the border town of Rafah and advanced toward the “Morag corridor,” which stretches from Gaza’s eastern edge to the Mediterranean Sea, situated between Rafah and Khan Younis, reports RTE.
The army had already secured a broad path in the central Netzarim area and has expanded a buffer zone hundreds of meters inside the border, including the Shejaia neighborhood east of Gaza City in the north.
Israel reports that since March 18, its forces have killed hundreds of Hamas militants, including high-ranking commanders. However, the operation has raised concerns from the United Nations and European nations, reports RTE.
Over 400,000 Palestinians have been uprooted since March 18, when the fighting resumed after a period of relative calm, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. At least 1,630 people have died due to Israeli strikes and shelling.
The medical group MSF described Gaza as a “mass grave,” stating that humanitarian workers are struggling to deliver assistance, reports RTE.
“We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” Amande Bazerolle, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Gaza, said in a statement, reports RTE.
Mr Katz said that Israel, which has prevented the delivery of aid into Gaza since early March, is working on infrastructure to eventually distribute relief via civilian companies. However, the current aid blockade will remain.
He added that Israel aims to set up a process allowing Gazans who want to leave the territory to do so, though it’s unclear which countries might accept large numbers of refugees.
Mr Katz’s remarks, which reiterated Israel’s demand that Hamas give up its weapons, show how distant both sides are from reaching a ceasefire deal, despite Egyptian-led mediation efforts, reports RTE.
Hamas has repeatedly said it will not accept disarmament and insists that any lasting truce must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
“Any truce lacking real guarantees for halting the war, achieving full withdrawal, lifting the blockade, and beginning reconstruction will be a political trap,” Hamas said in a statement, reports RTE.
Two Israeli officials stated this week that no progress has been made in the negotiations, despite media speculation about a potential pause in fighting to allow the exchange of some of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza for Palestinian detainees.
Israeli authorities believe that intensifying military pressure will force Hamas to release hostages. Still, the government is under pressure from large public demonstrations demanding a deal to end the war and secure their return, reports RTE.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken, according to Israeli reports.
The Gaza offensive has resulted in at least 51,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health sources, and caused widespread destruction, with most residents forced to flee repeatedly and large sections of the region turned to ruins, reports RTE.
Palestinian health officials reported that an airstrike killed 10 people, including Fatema Hassouna, a noted writer and photographer known for her war coverage. A separate strike on a northern home killed three more, they added.
Gaza’s health ministry, managed by Hamas, said Israel’s halt of fuel, medical, and food shipments is now severely affecting the last remaining hospitals, which are quickly running out of supplies.
“Hundreds of patients and wounded individuals are deprived of essential medications, and their suffering is worsening due to the closure of border crossings,” the ministry said, reports RTE.
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