Technically two buffers. Egypt has one on their side and Israel has one on the Gazan side.
“ The Israeli armed forces have illegally razed thousands of homes, regardless of military necessity, to clear Palestinians from the Gaza-Egypt border and create a “buffer zone,” Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Israeli government is calling for the destruction of hundreds more homes to widen the zone as part of a plan to “disengage” from the territory.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF), which regularly comes under fire along Gaza’s southern edge from Palestinian armed groups, claims that the destruction is militarily necessary. Human Rights Watch found the IDF has made 16,000 people homeless over the past four years, regardless of whether their homes posed a genuine military threat.
According to international law, Israel as an occupying power may destroy civilian property only when “rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.” Destroying property to improve the occupying power’s general security or as a broad precaution against hypothetical threats is prohibited.
“Israel’s conduct in southern Gaza stems from the assumption that every Palestinian is a suicide bomber and every home a base for attack,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “This policy of mass home destruction leads to serious violations of international humanitarian law meant to protect civilians.””
Whoops!