The Temporary Occupation

The Wall Street Journal reports Israel Is Building a Road Bisecting Gaza to Prepare for Next Phase of War

The Israeli army is expanding a road across central Gaza to facilitate its military operations, part of its plans to maintain security control over the enclave for some time, according to defense officials.

The gravel-paved road is one of a number of Israeli efforts to reshape the topography of the Gaza Strip—and give its military freedom of movement and a tighter grasp on the territory that was the launchpad for the Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and sparked the current conflict.

The building and expansion of the road comes as the Israeli military is also building a roughly 1-kilometer buffer zone just inside Gaza's border with Israel, where Palestinians would be barred from entry.

U.S. officials have warned Israel repeatedly against altering Gaza's borders or carving up its territory. They have publicly voiced opposition to the creation of a buffer zone.

The east-west route is intended to be used and patrolled until Israeli military operations in Gaza are complete, which could last months or even years, according to Israeli officials, who say they have no intention to permanently occupy Gaza but plan to maintain "security control" within its borders for an indefinite period. In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack, Israel pledged to eradicate the threat of Hamas from Gaza.