Israeli Defense Minister Says Army Will Remain in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria

The Israeli Defense Minister announced that the country's military forces will remain indefinitely in 'security areas' in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria. Israel Katz stated on Wednesday, April 27, in a statement published on the social media platform 'X', that Israeli forces will remain in the buffer zones created in Gaza even after any agreement to end the war. He added that 'Israeli defense forces will remain in security areas to act as a buffer between the enemy and Israeli communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza, similar to Lebanon and Syria.' The Israeli Defense Minister emphasized that 'Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip is primarily focused on efforts to return hostages and to defeat Hamas.' In southern Gaza alone, Israeli forces have seized about 20 percent of the territory, including control over the border city of Rafah and advancing into Gaza territory up to the 'Morgue Corridor' that stretches from eastern Gaza to the Mediterranean Sea between Rafah and Khan Younis. They have previously established a wide corridor in the central area of Netzarim and a buffer zone throughout the border, hundreds of meters into Gaza, including the Shuja'iyya area in eastern Gaza City to the north. Israel claims its forces have killed hundreds of members of the extremist group Hamas, including many senior commanders of this Palestinian armed group, but this operation has raised concerns from the United Nations and European countries. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. According to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, since the resumption of hostilities on March 18 after two months of relative calm, more than 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced. Israeli airstrikes and bombings have also killed at least 1,630 people. Mr. Katz also referred to the issue of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, stating that while Israel has blocked the entry of aid to Gaza, it is creating infrastructure for distributing aid through civilian companies in the future. However, he emphasized that the blockade of aid will continue. He stressed that 'the non-entry of these aids into Gaza is one of the most important tools of pressure on the extremist group Hamas.' He also mentioned that Israel is pursuing a plan to allow Palestinians who wish to leave Gaza to do so, although it remains unclear which countries would be willing to accept a large number of Palestinians. Israel continues to reject withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the buffer zone with Syria. Meanwhile, medical officials in the Gaza Strip reported that an Israeli airstrike on the entrance of a field hospital in the Mawasi area on Tuesday left one dead and nine injured. The Israeli army has not yet commented on this attack. On Sunday, Israel also targeted Al-Ahli, the last major hospital in northern Gaza, during its evacuation, resulting in one patient losing their life and causing serious damage to the emergency department, pharmacy, and surrounding buildings. Israel has always accused the extremist group Hamas of using hospitals to hide its members and military equipment, which hospital officials deny. Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, more than 51,000 people have been killed, including 1,600 since the end of the ceasefire in this strip.