Our troops will remain in Gaza ‘security zones’ even after war — Israeli defence minister

Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has declared that Israeli troops will remain in designated “security zones” within Gaza even after the end of the war.

Katz said the purpose of the zones was to provide a “buffer” to protect Israeli communities “in any temporary or permanent situation.”

According to the BBC, he added that “tens of per cent” of Gaza had been added since the Israeli offensive resumed three weeks ago.

He further stated that the Israeli government would continue to block humanitarian aid into Gaza, a measure in place since 2 March, in an attempt to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. 

“Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and blocking this aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population,” he said.

The United Nations has warned of “devastating” consequences of the ongoing blockade. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Wednesday that Gaza had been “turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance”. 

“We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” said Amande Bazerolle, the charity’s emergency co-ordinator in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 1,650 people have been killed since hostilities resumed on 18 March. Hospital sources reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 24 Palestinians on Wednesday alone, with the majority of casualties occurring in Gaza City. 

Among the dead were ten members of the Hassouna family, including children and women. One of the victims was identified as Fatema Hassouna, a young writer and photographer. 

The UN has estimated that 69% of Gaza is now under active Israeli evacuation orders, leaving around half a million people newly displaced. 

The evacuation zones include the borders with Israel and Egypt and areas surrounding the Wadi Gaza valley. 

Israel has also designated 30% of Gaza as an “operational security perimeter”, and its forces have advanced into various areas in the north and south, including establishing a corridor that severs Rafah from Khan Younis.

Katz insisted that the IDF would not be withdrawing from territory it has seized. “Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” he said. 

“The IDF will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and [Israeli] communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza – as in Lebanon and Syria.”

Hamas, meanwhile, reiterated that any permanent ceasefire 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,” the group said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Domestically, Katz’s comments drew criticism from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which described the proposed policy as an “illusion”. 

“They promised that the hostages come before everything. In practice, however, Israel is choosing to seize territory before the hostages,” the group said. 

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“There is one obvious, practical, solution and it is to release all of the hostages in one stage with an agreement, even at the cost of ending the war.”

Pressure has also come from Israeli military reservists and veterans, with multiple open letters urging the government to prioritise the return of hostages over continued military operations.

Despite Katz’s assertions, the UN and its humanitarian partners strongly contest Israeli claims that aid is sufficient. 

While Israel points to 25,000 lorry loads of aid delivered during the ceasefire, aid agencies say conditions have deteriorated sharply. 

The UN stated that tents are no longer available and acute malnutrition is rising, with the number of children receiving supplementary feeding dropping by over two-thirds in March.

MSF said the health system is collapsing under “insecurity and critical supply shortages”, with limited access to care. 

Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas-led cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 51,025 people have been killed.

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