Israel expands military control in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria by 1,000sq km (386sq miles)

An Al Jazeera investigation and expert analysis reveal how Israel is redrawing borders in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to enforce unannounced buffer zones.

Israeli soldiers inside a compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City [Jack Guez/ AFP]

Israeli military maps have failed to reflect the true extent of the country’s territorial control since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023. A new probe by Al Jazeera’s open-source investigation unit reveals that Israeli forces have established a de facto military footprint across the Gaza Strip, southern Lebanon, and southern Syria covering approximately 1,000sq km (386 sq miles), a size larger than the whole of New York City.

This newly controlled territory amounts to roughly five percent of Israel’s total landmass prior to October 2023, which includes the occupied Palestinian territories and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

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