Major U.S. media are finally reporting on what has long been obvious, that is, that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. In one of the latest examples, the New York Times reported on Dec. 2 that the Israeli military has been working to expand the zone it controls around the Netzarim corridor, the east-west road that the IDF bulldozed into existence during the early months of the Gaza operation in order to separate northern Gaza from the rest of the strip. The corridor, the Times says, “has slowly grown into an 18-square-mile block of territory controlled by Israeli forces, according to the Israeli military and a New York Times analysis of satellite images and video footage.” In the process, Israeli troops have demolished more than 600 buildings and replaced them with military infrastructure.
“The buildup suggests a shift for Israel, which had largely avoided holding Gazan territory, creating a vacuum that has allowed Hamas to reassert control in some parts of Gaza. The military said that the expansion was for operational reasons.”
What follows is a detailed description, complete with satellite imagery, of the military infrastructure that the army has built, including barracks, access roads and parking for armored vehicles, much of which is walled off. They are often surrounded by defensive ditches, mounds and obstacles to obstruct vehicles. An Israeli military spokesman claimed that it can all be taken down in a day but the Times notes that the buildup raises questions about Israeli plans for Gaza’s future.
