Tank in the Gaza Strip/Reuters
Israel has informed several Arab countries, including Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, that it wants to establish a buffer zone on the Gaza side after the war to prevent future attacks on the surrounding communities, Reuters reported. It was also reported that Saudi Arabia, which still has ties with Israel and stopped a normalization process brokered by the United States after the outbreak of the war on October 7, was also notified.
"Israel wants this north-south buffer zone between Gaza and Israel to prevent Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel," a senior security official in the region told Reuters. A UAE official did not respond directly when asked if Abu Dhabi had been told about the buffer zone, but said: "The UAE will support any future post-war arrangements agreed upon by all parties concerned, which will help achieve stability and a Palestinian state."
In the video: Galant flying over the Gaza Strip: "Hamas feels the significance of the attacks" / Photo: Elad Malka
The report also quoted Dr. Ofir Falk, his political advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, as saying, "The plan is more detailed than that. It is based on a three-tiered process for the day after Hamas." "A buffer zone may be part of the demilitarization process," he said. Fleck declined to provide details when asked if those plans had been raised with international partners, including Arab countries.
However, Reuters stressed that the initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel's offensive, which resumed Friday morning after seven days, but it shows that Israel is preparing to reorganize the region in the days after the war.
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