- Israel’s military razed significant portions of land within the boundary of Gaza, transforming it into a "kill zone" where anyone entering was targeted. This is according to the testimony of soldiers who were involved in the operation.
- Israeli combatants were ordered to demolish homes, factories, and agricultural areas about 1 kilometer inside of Gaza to create a "buffer zone".
- This is among the initial accounts from Israeli soldiers since the latest conflict began in October 2023 following Hamas’s attack on Israel.
- The testimonies were documented by "Breaking the Silence," a group founded in 2004 by Israeli veterans who aim to expose the reality of the military’s control over Palestinians.
- The purpose of creating the buffer zone was to provide a clear visual field for the IDF to identify and eliminate militants. The report noted almost all structures and infrastructure within the perimeter were demolished.
- Soldiers described orders to systematically destroy anything within the designated perimeter, including residential neighborhoods, public buildings, and mosques, with few exceptions.
- This led to the creation of a "zone of death" where places that were once inhabited, farmed, and industrial were turned into wasteland.
- The buffer zone stretches along the border with Israel, from the Mediterranean coast to the strip’s southeast near Egypt.
- Soldiers recounted how once an area was cleared of Palestinians, their missions involved destroying houses or remnants of buildings. They often did not know which locations they were destroying or why.
- The destruction was seen by some commanders as a means of retaliation for the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
- Despite the Israeli government’s claims that the war is targeted at Hamas, it faces allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, including starvation of civilians and "extermination".
- The IDF did not comment on the report or the soldiers’ accounts.
- The soldiers’ testimonies revealed that units were instructed to shoot anyone within the perimeter area on sight, with varying rules on who could be killed.
- Satellite imagery has previously shown the IDF destroyed hundreds of buildings within 1km to 1.2km of the perimeter fence, which human rights groups argue may constitute collective punishment and should be investigated as a war crime.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/07/israel-military-gaza-perimeter-land-testimony-report
