‘Israeli troops to remain in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria indefinitely’

Demonstrators gather to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners’ Day in Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank. Pic/AFP

Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. "Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized," Israel Katz said. The military "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".

Israeli forces have taken over large areas of Gaza in recent weeks in a renewed campaign to pressure Hamas to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

Israel says it must maintain control of such territories to prevent a repeat of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, in which thousands of militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza. Israeli strikes across Gaza meanwhile killed another 22 people, including a girl who was "not yet a year old". The Israeli offensive has so far killed over 51,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

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