By Aaron Boxerman, Aric Toles, Riley Mellen and Patrick Kingsley
In recent months, the Israeli military has intensified its activities in the central Gaza Strip, strengthening military installations and dismantling Palestinian structures, as reported by Israeli officials and depicted in satellite images, indicating a possible intention to establish enduring control over the region.
Since the initial stages of the Gaza war, Israeli forces have taken control of a 4-mile stretch known as the Netzarim corridor, which divides the enclave, effectively preventing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians from moving north. This area has gradually transformed into an 18-square-mile section under Israeli military authority, according to statements from the Israeli military and an analysis by The New York Times based on aerial imagery and video recordings.
Over the past three months, troops have demolished upwards of 600 structures neighboring the corridor, seemingly to establish a buffer zone. They have also quickly enhanced a network of outposts featuring communication towers and defensive structures.
This development represents a notable change for Israel, which had mostly refrained from holding ground in Gaza, allowing Hamas to regain influence in certain regions. The military claims this expansion is driven by operational necessities.
The growth of military presence has sparked speculation regarding Israel’s intentions for Gaza moving forward. Israeli leaders have committed to maintaining security oversight in Gaza post-conflict, although details about this vision remain vague. According to Israeli military analysts, the enhancement of infrastructure along the Netzarim corridor may align with these objectives.
Control over the corridor, which traverses Gaza from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea, enables Israel to manage movement throughout the enclave, confining many displaced Palestinians to the south. Recently, the Israeli military has extended its authority over the territory flanking the corridor, roughly 4.3 miles wide and long, facilitating easier retention of the area, as Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, conveyed in an interview.
Israel seized and took control of Gaza during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, maintaining Jewish settlements and military outposts until withdrawing its troops and settlers in 2005.
Certain Israeli officials have indicated that military dominion in Gaza should pave the way for renewed Jewish settlements, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu currently rules this out. The former settlement of Netzarim, the namesake for the military corridor, is situated within the now fully Israeli-controlled zone.
Analysis by The Times of satellite imagery from the last three months indicates that the Israeli military operates at least 19 substantial bases and numerous smaller ones in the area. While some were established earlier in the conflict, the images suggest that construction activity has accelerated: Twelve of the bases were either newly constructed or enlarged since early September.
Many of these installations are surfaced and enclosed, complete with barracks, access routes, and parking for armored vehicles. They are frequently bordered by defensive trenches, mounds, and barriers to obstruct encroaching vehicles.
Shoshani maintained that the increased ground presence is primarily for operational reasons. “Everything built there can be removed within a day,” he stated.
Nevertheless, the scale of the fortifications indicates that Israel is, at the very least, preparing for a lengthy engagement in Gaza. Avi Dichter, an Israeli government minister, affirmed that Israel intends to “remain in Gaza for an extended period.”
“We are assuredly not at the beginning of the end, as we still have much work ahead,” Dichter expressed to reporters in Jerusalem.
Amir Avivi, a retired brigadier general who frequently receives updates from Israel’s security apparatus, noted that many military leaders now believe “withdrawal and separation are no longer viable options.”
“This is the rationale for all this construction,” said Avivi, who heads a group of hawkish former security officials. “Ultimately, the reality speaks for itself.”
In November, Netanyahu visited the Netzarim corridor in a somewhat uncommon trip to Gaza. He remarked that Israeli forces in the vicinity were “conducting remarkable operations.” The prime minister added, “They have reached significant outcomes toward our critical aim — Hamas will not govern in Gaza.”
The Biden administration has opposed prolonged Israeli authority in Gaza, aiming for it to become part of a future Palestinian state. President-elect Donald Trump has urged Israel to “wrap up” the conflict, without clarifying what terms he would find acceptable for a post-conflict Gaza.
One of the largest Israeli bases, positioned at the junction of the Netzarim corridor and the main north-south highway, has steadily grown throughout the year. It has now developed significant infrastructure, such as two communication towers and a notable checkpoint, as depicted in satellite imagery.
Israeli forces have demolished at least 620 residential structures, greenhouses, and other facilities from Sept. 3 to Nov. 21, according to the Times analysis. Soldiers from the military’s 749th Combat Engineering Battalion shared videos on social media showcasing demolition work they conducted.
The Times verified 11 of these videos, filmed by drones, offering an aerial perspective of Israel’s attempts to reshape the landscape south of Gaza City. These videos were initially widely circulated by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian journalist who retrieved them from the soldiers’ social media profiles.
When asked about the rationale behind the military’s demolitions, Shoshani pointed out that some buildings were utilized by Palestinian militants as observation points and hiding spots. With much of the region now leveled, Israeli military analysts believe Hamas operatives will find it more challenging to approach Israeli troops patrolling the Netzarim corridor or stationed at Israeli outposts.
Israeli soldiers commenced construction and fortification of the Netzarim corridor late last year, shortly after the initiation of the military’s ground operation in Gaza. Israel began its offensive against Hamas in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which Israeli officials state resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities in Israel and 250 individuals taken hostage. By June, most buildings within a half-mile radius of the corridor had been eradicated, forming what the Israeli military considered a buffer zone.
The village of Al Mughraqa, located nearly 4 miles south of Gaza City, suffered the most devastation during this time. Prior to the conflict, over 10,000 individuals resided in Al Mughraqa, encircled by fragrant lemon groves and fields of tomatoes and cucumbers.
By August, the village was almost entirely obliterated, alongside its surrounding flora. Satellite images and accounts from former residents indicate that only a handful of buildings remain standing. The Israeli military claimed that Hamas had entrenched itself within the locale, necessitating the establishment of “defensive infrastructure” for control consolidation.
The Palestinian inhabitants of the village can only fantasize about returning to their lands, remarked Bashir Abu Kmeil, 50, who fled with his family to southern Gaza earlier in the conflict.
Initially, the Palestinian residents could return to survey their properties and fields, Abu Kmeil indicated. But as the Israeli military presence became increasingly fortified, they feared that even approaching the ruins could lead to fatal consequences.
Now, he lamented, “there’s nothing but devastation left.”
