JERUSALEM ¨C Even as the U.S. and ?Iran seek to cement a ceasefire, Israel is seizing more territory from its neighbors in preparation for a long, drawn-out conflict across the Middle East.
Israel¡¯s creation of ¡°buffer zones¡± in the Gaza Strip, Syria and now Lebanon reflects a strategic shift after the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, one that puts the country in a semipermanent state of war, six Israeli military and defense officials said.
The approach also acknowledges a reality the officials said had become increasingly clear after two-and-a-half years of conflict: Iran¡¯s clerical leadership, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and militias across the region cannot be eliminated outright.
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