The Israeli troops are fortifying the strategic Netzarim corridor which cuts the Gaza Strip in two building bases, taking control of civilian facilities, and razing homes. This is demonstrated by satellite images and direct testimonies of an effort that according to Israeli military analysts and experts it is part of a large-scale project. That is, the one destined to reshape the Gaza Strip and root the Israeli military presence there. As the Washington Post writes, since March Israeli forces have built three operational bases in the corridor. Reaching the sea, the road/corridor meets a new unloading point for an American floating dock to bring more aid to Gaza.
The post-war objective: buffer zone to remain in the Strip
Israel insists it does not intend to permanently reoccupy the Gaza Strip, which its troops controlled for 38 years until they withdrew in 2005. But Construction of roads, outposts and buffer zones in recent months points to a growing role for the Israeli military in the post-war era. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released few concrete plans for the ”day after”, but has repeatedly promised to maintain ”indefinite” security control over the enclave. In addition to conducting future raids from the outside, Israeli troops may need to ”be inside” Gaza to ensure Hamas demilitarizationNetanyahu said.
In addition to influence in negotiations, Control of the corridor gives the Israeli army valuable flexibility, allowing troops to be rapidly deployed throughout the enclave. It also provides the Israel Defense Forces with the ability to maintain the control over the flow of aid and the movement of displaced Palestinians, which they say is necessary to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping. According to an analysis by Adi Ben-Nun of the Hebrew University, at least 750 buildings were destroyed to create a “buffer zone” which extends for at least 500 meters on both sides of the road. Another 250 buildings were razed in the American Pier area.
The IDF declined to comment on the clearance of buildings around the corridor, saying it could not answer operational questions during an ongoing war. Military experts say it is part of a large-scale, long-term reshaping of Gaza’s geography, harking back to past Israeli plans to divide Gaza into easier-to-control cantons. ”What we need is full freedom of operation for the IDF everywhere in Gaza,” said Amir Avivi, reserve brigadier general and former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of the Israel Defense Forces.
The Netzarim Corridor, how the works are progressing
The Netzarim Corridor it takes its name from an Israeli settlement that was located along the coastal road. And the second “finger” of then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s “five fingers” strategy which envisaged dividing Gaza into segments, all under Israeli security control. The plan was only partially implemented before Sharon ordered the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. ”It’s not surprising that Israel went back and established this as a new corridor,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a member of the Foundation for the defense of democracies and former IDF spokesperson ”The terrain there is the most favorable and suits military purposes”, he explained.
L’Netzarim axis was among the first targets of Israeli troops after invading Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, going so far as to divide the Strip in two. By November 6, troops had cut an informal, winding trail to the sea that allowed armored vehicles to reach al-Rashid Road, a major north-south thoroughfare that runs along Gaza’s coast. In February and March, Israeli troops formalized the corridor by building a straight road a few hundred meters to the south. The final stretch of the road, closest to the coast, was completed between March 5 and 9, satellite images show. The IDF says the road allows military vehicles to travel from one side of the Strip to the other in just seven minutes, giving soldiers quick and unobstructed access to northern and central Gaza. It was used as an operational base for the recent IDF attacks in Zeitounin northern Gaza, an Israeli military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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