U.S. State Department: Opposes the establishment of a buffer zone in Gaza – The Epoch Times

[The Epoch Times, December 07, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Chen Ting) U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the United States opposes the proposal to establish a buffer zone within the Gaza Strip because this It violates Washington’s position that Gaza cannot be reduced in size after the current conflict ends.

It was reported last week that Israel has notified several Arab countries that it hopes to set up a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the Gaza border to prevent attacks as part of its post-war governance of Gaza.

On Wednesday (December 6), Miller stated at his daily press briefing that the principle supported by Washington is that the land area of ​​Gaza must not be reduced.

“There must be no reduction in the size of Gaza. That remains our position and will continue to be our position,” Miller said.

“So if the proposed buffer zone is within Gaza, it violates that principle and is what we are opposed to,” Miller told reporters. “If it were within Israel, I wouldn’t comment on that – that’s It’s up to the Israelis to decide.”

Miller also said there must be a transition period after major combat operations to avoid a “security vacuum,” but it must be temporary.

However, he could not elaborate on the specific content of the transition period.

“The conflict is ongoing and I can’t say yet how long the transition period will be or when it will end. I think it’s too early to put any numbers on that at this point,” Miller said.

Currently, Israel is continuously intensifying its offensive against Hamas, with fighting starting in the center of Khan Younis, Gaza’s second largest city.

An Israeli army spokesman said that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was hiding underground and that the Israeli army’s mission was to “find Sinwar and kill him.”

Sinwar is believed to be the mastermind behind the October 7 attack. Over the past two days, Israeli forces have penetrated deep into Khan Yunis, Sinwar’s hometown.

Sinwar grew up in the Khan Younis refugee camp, which over the decades has grown into a crowded neighborhood in the city. Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif is also from the camp.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that troops were “surrounding Sinwar’s house,” adding that “he can escape, but it is only a matter of time before we catch him.”

Later, when asked whether this meant that troops were closing in on Sinwar’s home, as some media reported, Israeli army spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said: “Sinwar is not on the ground. underground.”

“I don’t want to go into details about the location and how we got this information. These things cannot be talked about in the media. Our mission is to find Sinwar and kill him,” he said.

As Israel expands its air and ground offensive in southern Gaza, tens of thousands more Palestinians have been displaced, exacerbating the humanitarian woes. The United Nations is concerned that new military evacuation orders are forcing people to squeeze into increasingly smaller areas.

Editor in charge: Li Muen#