Israel building military bases in central Gaza — report

Israel is reportedly constructing military bases in the central areas of besieged Gaza, signalling efforts to strengthen its presence in the blockaded enclave, according to a report.

The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing satellite imagery and video analysis, that Israeli soldiers have demolished more than 600 buildings in recent months to create a buffer zone.

The report said troops had established a network of fortified "outposts featuring communication towers and defensive installations."

The military is said to maintain at least 19 large bases in the region, alongside dozens of smaller facilities.

Many are paved and enclosed, with barracks, access roads and parking facilities for armoured vehicles.

Israel seized the four-mile Netzarim corridor — a key road that divides the enclave, said the newspaper, during the early months of the onslaught against Gaza.

The corridor has reportedly been used to prevent hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians from returning to the north of Gaza.

US' response

Asked by reporters about the report, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said he has seen the reports but cannot confirm.

"We've been very clear that we believe a couple of things. One, that it's important that there be a cease-fire as soon as possible in Gaza, and that we start to ensure an increased flow of aid into Gaza, humanitarian assistance," Ryder told reporters.

"We also don't believe that Israel should continue to occupy Gaza once that ceasefire... and the threat has been eliminated," he added.

The US will continue to consult its Israeli partners on that front, said Ryder, and added: "The most important thing is getting to a ceasefire, the release of the hostages and ending this terrible conflict."

A State Department spokesperson said if the reports about Israel establishing military bases are true, it would be "most certainly inconsistent with what we want to see for the region."

"And it certainly would be consistent with the principles that the secretary (Antony Blinken) laid out in Tokyo, and should they be true, it's certainly something that we will raise quite seriously with our partners in Israel," deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday at a news conference.

In November 2023, during his visit to Tokyo, Blinken said the US believes key elements should include no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza — not now and not after the genocidal war.

Israel has killed over 44,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its carnage in besieged Gaza so far.

Its onslaught caused a massive shortage of basic necessities, including water, food, medicine and electricity, while displacing almost the entire population of the enclave.