Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz said on April 16 that his country’s troops will remain in the so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. This is reported by AP.
The statement came amid attempts by the Palestinian group Hamas (recognised in the US and EU as a terrorist organisation) to secure the resumption of the ceasefire with Israel, which was in force from January to March, in exchange for the release of some of the Israeli hostages held by the group.
Israeli troops have reoccupied more than half of Gaza as part of a renewed military campaign against the Palestinian radical group.
Israel is also refusing to withdraw from parts of Lebanon despite a truce with Hezbollah last year, and is also holding a buffer zone in southern Syria after rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.
“Unlike past operations, the Israel Defence Forces will not leave the captured and cleared areas,” AP quoted Yisrael Katz as saying. He said the military “will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and Israeli population centres both in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria – whether the situation is temporary or permanent.”
Palestinians, as well as authorities in neighbouring countries, regard the presence of Israeli troops as a military occupation that violates international law. “Hamas says it will not release the dozens of hostages left in captivity without a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a long-term ceasefire.”
Israel insists it must maintain control of the territories to prevent a repeat of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, when thousands of militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, more than 51,000 Palestinians died during the Israeli offensive. The exact ratio of civilians to militants is not given, but it is noted that the dead are mostly women and children. Israel claims to have killed about 20,000 militants, but does not provide evidence of these figures.
Israeli bombing and ground operations have rendered large parts of the Gaza Strip uninhabitable, with about 90 per cent of the territory’s estimated two million residents displaced. Many have been displaced several times, with hundreds of thousands living in overcrowded tent camps in dire conditions, facing food shortages after Israel completely blocked the entry of goods into the enclave more than a month ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to destroy ” Hamas ” and return 59 hostages, among whom 24 are still alive. then, he said, Israel will start implementing a proposal by US President Donald Trump, which envisages ” voluntary emigration ” of a large part of the population of Gaza to other countries.
Palestinians, Arab countries and some US European allies have rejected Trump’s plan as violating international legal norms.