Israel establishes military unit to protect settlements near Gaza

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army said Wednesday it has established a military unit to protect Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip.

“The ceremony for the establishment of the Gaza Envelope LOTAR (counter-terrorism) Unit in the Gaza Division took place this week (Monday),” a military statement said.

The army said the military unit was established “as part of the lessons learned from the initial investigations on the ground from the events of the 7th of October.”

“The Unit’s force will consist of reserve soldiers, veterans of elite units who live in the communities near the Gaza Strip or its surroundings and will be on standby for activation in the area,” it added.

The military said soldiers of the unit will undergo dedicated training.

“So far, hundreds of soldiers who are in the selection process have applied for the first training session that will be held in the coming weeks,” the army said.

The move comes amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 last year.

More than 36,580 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 83,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul