Israeli forces will remain indefinitely in so-called security zones created in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, the defense minister said Wednesday.
“Unlike the past, the (Israel army) has not evacuated areas that have been cleared and seized,” Israeli Defense Minister Katz said.
The decision could further complicate consultations with Hamas about a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave and the release of the remaining hostages.
Israeli military exists in more than half of Gaza in a new campaign following the collapse of last month’s ceasefire with extremist groups.
It also refused to withdraw from several Lebanon regions last year following a ceasefire with Hezbollah extremist groups.
In Syria, Israel seized the country’s southern buffer zone after rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December.
The Palestinians, Lebanon and Syria all view the existence of Israeli forces as military occupations that violate international law.
Hamas said he would not release the remaining dozens of hostages without a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
In a statement, the main organisation representing prisoners of war members said that despite promises hostages would come first, Israel had actually chosen all other territory.
“There is one desirable and viable solution: it is the release of all hostages at once as part of the agreement, at the expense of ending the war.”
Israel has said it must control what is called a security zone to prevent repeated Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 people.
Israeli artillery bombardment and ground operations have made the vast areas of the Gaza Strip uninhabited, displaced about 90% of its approximately 2 million population.
Many are difficult to avoid multiple, and hundreds of thousands of people are packed into gravel tent camps after Israel was sealed from the territory from all imports over a month ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to annihilate Hamas and return the remaining 59 hostages still in Gaza.
He said Israel would implement controversial proposals for resetting the population of most of the enclave through what Netanyahu calls “voluntary immigration.”
Palestinians and most Arab countries have universally rejected Trump’s proposal that human rights experts are likely to violate international law.
The Trump administration, praised for helping to mediate the January ceasefire, has expressed full support for Israel’s decision to end it and cut off all humanitarian aid.
Trump’s Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkov is trying to mediate a new ceasefire deal that is more favorable for Israel, but these efforts seem to have made little progress.
