The Pretext of 'Security' Along Gaza's Buffer Zone

According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the buffer zone was established during the Oslo accords, taking 50 meters of land on the Palestinian side only and all along the border. In 2000, this was unilaterally expanded by the Israelis to 150 meters on the Palestinian side only, expanded again to 300 meters with the threat to shoot anyone found within that distance in January 2009, a threat reiterated by air-dropped leaflets in May 2009.

The buffer zone renders inaccessible approximately 30 percent of Gaza's agricultural land. Tens of Palestinian farmers, workers and residents living in or near the buffer zone have been injured and killed by Israeli soldiers' shooting and shelling.'

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