The spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, Ashraf al-Qudra, confirmed that the death toll from Israeli airstrikes since October 7th has exceeded 21,000. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the war will not stop until Gaza's disarmament is achieved, while Israel plans to establish a buffer zone along the Gaza Strip. The future of Gaza and the shape of its current borders are under discussion, with Israeli talks about creating a new enclosure for the region after the ongoing war.
Netanyahu reaffirmed, in an interview with the Italian newspaper "La Stampa," that peace includes establishing a temporary security area along the Gaza Strip, including the border with Egypt, to prevent weapon smuggling. This statement coincided with reports of the Israeli army's readiness to create a buffer zone inside Gaza, expected to extend one kilometer deep into the territory.
On the other hand, observers note that the size of the strip does not allow for the establishment of buffer zones within it, especially considering the high population density and the varying width of the strip, ranging between 5 and 12 kilometers. This suggests a lack of sufficient depth for Israel to prevent Palestinian rocket or ground attacks, especially given the proximity of cities and villages along the Gaza envelope.
Politically, as soon as Netanyahu mentioned the buffer area, the U.S. State Department announced that Washington rejected any buffer zone within the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the necessity to preserve the area without reductions after the current conflict.
