Israel tells US buffer zone it’s establishing in Gaza temporary; Washington dissatisfied

Israeli officials have told their American counterparts in recent days that the buffer zone the IDF is establishing on the Gaza side of the border with Israel is only meant to be temporary and will be removed once Hamas is completely removed from power, a US official tells The Times of Israel.

Over the past several weeks, the IDF has been razing Palestinian homes along the border in order to establish the buffer zone, sparking alarm in Washington, which has insisted that there be no reduction in Gaza’s territory after the war.

The US official says that the Biden administration is not on board with even a temporary buffer zone and has voiced that stance with Jerusalem.

Washington believes that, once established, Israel will not actually agree to withdraw from the buffer zone, the US official adds.