Israeli troops will remain in the buffer zones they have created in the Gaza Strip even after any settlement to end the war with Hamas, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday, as efforts to revive a ceasefire agreement faltered.
Since resuming military operations last month, Israeli forces have carved out a broad "security zone" extending deep into Gaza and squeezing more than 2 million Palestinians into ever smaller areas in the south and along the coastline.
"Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized," Katz said in a statement, referring to the Israel Defense Forces, following a meeting with military commanders.
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