Israel will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, defense minister says
Israeli forces will remain in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely to maintain security zones along the borders, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
In order to defend Israel from Hamas, Hezbollah and the newly established Syrian government, Katz claimed it was necessary for the Israel Defense Forces to keep a foothold in each territory for the foreseeable future.
“Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” Katz said on Wednesday. “[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.”
The move is expected to complicate the already heated cease-fire talks with Hamas, who is discussing a new proposal to free 10 hostages in exchange for another temporary truce.
Hamas has reiterated that it will not release the 59 hostages remaining in Gaza without assurance that Israel will completely withdraw from the Strip and agree to a permanent peace deal.
Israel, which is occupying more than half of Gaza, has rejected the terms, with the latest suggestion that the occupation would be permanent drawing condemnation from the family of the hostages.
“They promised that the hostages come first. In practice, Israel is choosing to seize territory before the hostages,” the main organization representing families of the hostages said in a statement.
“There is one solution that is desirable and feasible, and that is the release of all the hostages at once as part of an agreement, even at the cost of ending the war,” the group added.
Katz’s announcement could also derail the truce with Hezbollah, as well as further antagonize Israel with Syria’s new leaders, who overthrew President Bashar Assad last year.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel’s insistence on keeping its troops in southern Lebanon has hindered his army’s ability to deploy along the border as per the cease-fire agreement reached last year.
Israel has accused Lebanon of failing to ensure Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the south, with the Jewish state restarting its bombardment campaign in recent months.
While Israeli officials touted the airstrikes effectiveness at taking out high-ranking Hezbollah officials, the UN estimates that more than 70 civilians have been killed since the bombings resumed.
Meanwhile in Syria, tensions have remained high after Israel advanced from the occupied Golan Heights past a buffer zone established after the 1973 war following Assad’s ouster last December.
The Jewish state has since expanded its zone of control in the country, setting off conflicts with Syrians last month. Israeli officials have defended the expansions and subsequent strikes on Syrian military bases as necessary for nation security purposes.
Palestinians and officials from both neighboring countries have ultimately condemned Israel’s occupation in their land as a violation of international law.
With Post wires
