Israel announced the deaths of 21 soldiers in Gaza and disclosed plans to create a “buffer zone” along its border with Gaza by demolishing buildings. The announcement confirmed the implementation of a strategy aimed at improving security in southern Israel.
The United States has expressed opposition to the creation of a buffer zone, stating that there should be no permanent change to Palestinian territory. Human rights groups have raised concerns that the destruction of civilian homes and farms could constitute war crimes.
The soldiers killed in Gaza were part of a demolition crew hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, causing explosives to detonate and bringing down buildings. The purpose of creating the buffer zone is to enhance security conditions for the return of residents to their homes in southern Israel.
Before October 7, Israeli border guards enforced a 330-yard buffer zone along the 36-mile fence. It is argued that lax enforcement of the zone allowed Hamas to breach the border fence on October 7.
The details of the buffer zone, including its depth, were not fully disclosed by the military. However, it is expected to extend just over half a mile from the border, more than double the size of the previous buffer area.
Israel has already destroyed around 1,100 buildings out of 2,850 in the planned buffer zone. Israeli officials have advocated for the creation of an expanded buffer zone since the beginning of the conflict.
Videos and satellite imagery have shown Israeli forces carrying out controlled demolitions of buildings near the border. The United States and rights advocates have expressed opposition to any reduction in the size of Palestinian territories.
The United States has been informed by Israel that the buffer zone being constructed inside Gaza is intended as a temporary security measure to eliminate firing positions close to the border. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that security measures for Israelis to return to their homes should be appropriate and transitional.
Rights advocates have criticized the scale of destruction in Gaza and accused Israel of genocide. Israel has defended the demolitions as essential to dismantling Hamas’s infrastructure.
The prewar buffer zone had encompassed over 40 percent of Gaza’s farmland, blocking farmers from their fields for more than a decade. The new buffer zone poses further challenges for Palestinians and their land rights.
