Overview

• Israeli soldiers have testified to systematically destroying homes, farmland, and infrastructure within Gaza's buffer zone, which now covers over half of the territory.
• The buffer zone has doubled in size in recent weeks, extending up to 3 kilometers in some areas, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
• Soldiers described the buffer zone as a 'kill zone,' with orders to shoot anyone entering, including women and children in some cases.
• Prime Minister Netanyahu has reiterated plans to maintain long-term security control in Gaza, raising concerns of forced displacement and occupation.
• Rights groups and international bodies have called for investigations into potential war crimes and collective punishment resulting from the destruction.