Israel To Make Gaza Buffer Zones Permanent

What Happened?

In a public statement, Israeli Defense Minister, Katz, said that Israel plans to keep several buffer zones in Gaza even after a permanent end to the war is reached. The buffer zones Mr. Katz referred were created during combat operations that resumed since the cease fire between Israel and HAMAS ended several weeks ago. 

‘Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been secured and cleared,’ Mr. Katz added to his original statement. Since combat operations resumed, Israel has added nearly ten percent of the Gaza Strip to what the IDF calls the new security zone.

Why it Matters 

The move by Israel to keep a lasting and larger security buffer between Gaza and many Israeli communities is in line with the original objective of the war. At the outset of hostilities, Israeli officials said one of their main goals was to ‘change the reality’ on the ground in Gaza. 

A significant portion of the new security zone includes areas in southern Gaza, such as the border crossing at Rafah. The security zones are areas under the direct control of the IDF, meaning movement into, out of, or through those areas are subject to approval from the Israeli military. In practical terms, that means HAMAS will not be able to use those areas to stage or launch any new attacks against Israel.

For Palestinians, the new configuration means they will be living in an even smaller area than before the war. With much of Gaza destroyed from the fighting, the remaining portions that are habitable have shrunk even more. Which means, by every measure, the war started by HAMAS against Israel has made life much worse for the Palestinians. 

In recent weeks, there have been a growing number of public protests in Gaza against HAMAS, reflecting a surging anti-HAMAS sentiment. Because so many HAMAS fighters and senior leaders have been killed by the IDF, HAMAS isn’t strong enough to suppress those kinds of protests like they did in the past. Before the war, any Palestinian who openly challenged HAMAS could be killed or detained along with their immediate family. 

But whether the security zones will bring lasting security to Israel remains uncertain. In the short term, the new configuration will likely give the IDF more control over Gaza. The IDF has succeeded in militarily defeating HAMAS fighters, what remains to be seen is whether or not that will help them kill the idea of HAMAS.

How it Affects You

The military defeat of HAMAS and Iranian proxies by Israel could have a chilling effect on the global jihadist movement. Terrorist groups use military success as a recruiting tool online, but the defeats in Gaza will probably have the opposite effect by reducing the number of people interested in joining those movements.