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Israel Demolishing Buildings to Construct Road in Gaza to Cut the Strip Into Two

The construction demonstrates Israel’s long-term plan to occupy Gaza.

By Dave DeCamp / Antiwar.com,  https://scheerpost.com/2024/02/21/israel-demolishing-buildings-to-construct-road-in-gaza-to-cut-the-strip-into-two/

Israel is demolishing buildings to build a road through central Gaza that will cut the Strip in two, demonstrating Israel’s long-term plans to occupy the territory.

Israel’s Channel 14 reported on the road, which is being built in an area known as the Netzarim Corridor. The new road, known as Highway 749, will separate Gaza City from the rest of the Strip.

Israel is creating a 1-kilometer “buffer zone” to the north and south of the road, similar to the zone it’s creating along the entire Israel-Gaza border. According to The New Arab, among the structures likely to be demolished to build the road is the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which was shut down in November due to an Israeli siege that cut off fuel.

The construction will also require the demolition of Al-Aqsa University, several villages, amusement parks, and agricultural land. Israeli soldiers said the purpose of the road was to make it easier to launch incursions into Gaza, and it could also prevent the movement of Palestinians from the south to the north.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on the highway and said it would effectively create a militarized belt across Gaza that will help prevent the 1 million Palestinians who fled the north from returning to their homes. Israeli officials told the Journal that the road will be patrolled until Israel’s military operations are complete, which they say could be years away.

The Israeli officials also claimed that they don’t seek to occupy the Gaza Strip but plan to maintain “security control” within its borders for an indefinite period, which amounts to a military occupation. Israeli government ministers have also not been shy about their desire to re-establish Jewish settlements in Gaza.

February 23, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war