Israeli troops will remain in Gaza ‘security zones’ indefinitely – minister

Israel Katz said Israeli forces “will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza”. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Fifty-nine hostages are still inside Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 51,000 people, according to an updated toll released by Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday. That includes more than 1,600 people killed since Israel ended a ceasefire and resumed its offensive last month to pressure Hamas to accept changes to the agreement..