Israel has extended its occupation of territories in Gaza, southern Lebanon and Syria since the start of the regional conflicts, expanding the area under its illegal military control to its largest extent in decades and prompting renewed international criticism.
It is an area larger than many major cities – roughly 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) – and Israel has said it plans to stay indefinitely.
The land seizures began in the aftermath of Hamas’s 2023 cross-border attack. The Israeli military took over large portions of Gaza as part of a broad invasion, and later seized control of chunks of Lebanon and Syria.
Israel calls these areas "buffer zones" and says they are "needed" to prevent future attacks.
In Gaza and Lebanon, Israeli land seizures and evacuation warnings have pushed out more than 3 million people, and troops have demolished towns and neighborhoods, creating large, depopulated zones.
