Two Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. (Credit: AFP)
It appears that the Gaza Strip will soon be divided in two as Israel undertakes the expansion of an 8-kilometer road running east-west through the enclave, just south of Gaza City, as reported by defense analysts cited by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Israel's Channel 14 further reported that this project involves laying a new gravel base and the demolition of homes along the corridor.
Besides tightening the Israeli army's grip on Gaza, this project seeks to streamline troop movements and grant them greater mobility in preparation for an offensive on the city of Rafah, situated in the southernmost part of the Strip, where 1.5 million Palestinians reside.
The Israeli army already dominates the majority of the north-to-south thoroughfares as well as a swath of territory extending from east to west, adjacent to the widened road, as highlighted by the New York Daily.
This territorial reorganization would lead to the establishment of a militarized corridor with checkpoints, potentially preventing the return of around one million Palestinians to the northern part of Gaza. These individuals had fled bombardments and followed evacuation orders from the Israeli army to relocate to the south, as reported by the WSJ.
Israeli officials have indicated their opposition to allowing inhabitants to return until operations in the north conclude and an agreement is reached to release the approximately 130 hostages held in Gaza.
Additionally, within the enclave, Tel Aviv is implementing the clearance of a one-kilometer-wide buffer zone along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Palestinians will not be permitted to enter this zone.
The objective of this project is to deter attacks similar to those witnessed on Oct.7, 2023, when more than 1,150 people were killed by Hamas.
Red lines
The evolving landscape of the Gaza Strip prompts concerns about a potential long-term Israeli presence and, more urgently, the destiny of refugees expected to seek safety during the anticipated offensive in Rafah.
Signs suggest that Gazans may have little recourse but to seek refuge in the northeast of Egypt's Sinai region, where infrastructure development appears underway to accommodate them.
Despite international outcry and warnings from its American ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Saturday his commitment to proceed with this ground operation.
This poses a dilemma for the Biden administration, which struggles to justify its steadfast backing of its Israeli ally amid mounting Palestinian casualties, nearing 30,000 since October 2023.
Washington is planning to send a new shipment of weapons to Tel Aviv, including one thousand 500-pound (227 kg) MK-82 bombs.
Additionally, Israel's proposal to divide the Gaza Strip conflicts with the Tokyo Principles outlined by the US envoy for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, last November.
These principles reject forced displacement, reoccupation or reduction of Gaza's territory. They assert Gaza's status as Palestinian land, emphasize no security threat to Israel from Gaza, reject the blockade and call for the separation of civilians from Hamas, absolving them of responsibility for the group's actions.
The US demanded that the Israelis obtain an operational plan detailing their intentions for Rafah, including how they intend to evacuate civilians, according to Axios. The Israeli army is expected to present such a document to the war cabinet this week, according to the news site.
At a press conference on Saturday, Netanyahu said that Gazan civilians would be evacuated to an area between the north of Rafah and the south of Gaza City.
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour. Translated by Sahar Ghoussoub.