Israeli defense minister: Troops to stay in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely
Israel’s defense minister stated on Wednesday that troops will remain in security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely. These remarks could complicate ongoing discussions with Hamas regarding a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israeli strikes across Gaza meanwhile killed another 22 people, according to local health officials, including a girl who was not yet a year old. The girl’s mother, who was wounded in the strike, embraced her daughter, still wearing a bloodied blue and white dress, before she was taken for burial, News.Az reports citing The Washington Times.
Israeli forces have taken over more than half of Gaza 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 rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad in December.
“Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. 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.”
The Palestinians and both neighboring countries view the presence of Israeli troops as military occupation in violation of international law. Hamas has said it will not release dozens of remaining hostages without a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.
“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,” it said.
Israel says it must maintain control of what it refers to as security zones to prevent a repeat of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which thousands of militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.
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