All over the narrow border with Israel in the Gaza Strip
All buildings are being destroyed to build a 1km buffer zone.
U.S. announces public stance against reduction of Gaza Strip area
The New York Times reported on the 23rd that the construction of a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip may be a war crime.
It is reported that the 20 Israeli soldiers who died on the 22nd in a Hamas attack were responsible for building a buffer zone between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
While the Israeli military was planting explosives on a Palestinian building in the border area between Israel and the Gaza Strip in central Gaza, a fire broke out when Hamas fighters opened fire on an Israeli tank guarding the surrounding area, and the explosives planted by the Israeli military exploded and the building collapsed.
According to Israeli officials, Israel has been removing Palestinian buildings in areas adjacent to Israel in the Gaza Strip to create a “security zone.”
Officials said the goal is to establish a buffer zone about 1km wide within the Gaza Strip along the 58km border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip, which stretches long and thin from north to south, is only about 6km wide in some places.
Last month, the U.S. State Department publicly opposed Israel’s establishment of a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip, saying it would significantly reduce the area of the Gaza Strip.
John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, also responded at a briefing on the 23rd, saying, “We do not want to see the area of Gaza reduced in any way,” and “We will not support the establishment of a buffer zone.”
With the establishment of the buffer zone, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will lose their homes. Critics of Israel’s move say it is part of a broader policy of disrespect for private homes and property. Many buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, according to a UN assessment, and more than 25,000 residents have been killed, according to Hamas’ health ministry.
Balakshunan Rajagopal, the United Nations housing investigator, said that the systematic destruction of Palestinian homes along the Gaza border could be a war crime because these homes do not pose a direct threat to Israel.
“There is no provision in the Geneva Conventions that would support the kind of pre-emptive removal of property that Israel is doing,” he said. “Israel can take action on a case-by-case basis with respect to individual buildings, but it cannot take action with respect to all buildings in the border area.” “He said. He also emphasized that “Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation not to commit malicious acts of destruction of buildings.”
Israel has not officially announced a policy of destroying all border homes. However, since last month, Israeli media has been focusing on the concept of establishing a buffer zone throughout the border zone.
Israeli officials also suggested the establishment of a buffer zone from the beginning of the war. Then-Foreign Secretary Eli Cohen said that if the war ended, “the Gaza Strip would shrink.” Agriculture Minister Avi Dieter also said a few days later, “No one will be able to live close to the Israeli border.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.