Accounts from Israeli soldiers who participated in the genocide in the Gaza Strip reveal a deliberate and extensive campaign of destruction aimed at establishing what Israel calls a “vast buffer zone,” known as “The Perimeter,” which extends over a kilometer into Gaza. These revelations point to a calculated effort to reshape the region entirely by erasing all Palestinian homes, structures, and farmland.
According to a report by the Israeli organization “Breaking The Silence,” (The Perimeter: Soldiers’ Testimonies from the Gaza Buffer Zone 2023-2024,) released on April 7, 2025, Israeli soldiers received orders to destroy all structures near the border, transforming the area into barren land devoid of any infrastructure.
One soldier described the operation as turning the region into “completely flattened land,” emphasizing its systematic and intentional nature.
The report highlights the creation of this new buffer zone as a critical element in maintaining control over Gaza.
Soldiers and officers involved in the campaign described the area as being converted into “total devastation, where nothing was spared.”
One soldier shared how tanks and engineering vehicles, such as D9 bulldozers, were employed to demolish homes, farms, olive groves, and agricultural fields.
The operations were meticulously planned, with units assigned specific areas and tasked with destroying a set number of buildings each day.
Testimonies revealed that in some cases, soldiers destroyed up to fifty structures weekly, depending on the availability of resources.
Intensive artillery shelling accompanied these operations, described by soldiers as “leveling the field.”
In some cases, dozens of shells were fired in prolonged assaults lasting half a day. One soldier noted that his mission involved firing approximately twelve shells in one operation, targeting anyone approaching the evacuated site.
The testimonies also revealed a disturbing description of the buffer zone as a “kill zone,” where anyone crossing a designated, virtual line set by the army was deemed a threat and targeted.
Soldiers were given broad discretion to act, with one stating, “Anyone crossing this imaginary line was considered a danger and dealt with accordingly.”
Expanding the buffer zone was another aspect of this genocide, with the area now extending up to 1,500 meters into Gaza, far beyond its previous boundary of three hundred meters.
The Breaking The Silence report explains that this zone, stretching from northern Gaza to the border with Egypt in the south, is treated as an “open-fire region” where civilians are prohibited, and all land within it is leveled to prevent any future use.
Testimonies indicate that the destruction was not limited to “suspected military targets” but encompassed entire neighborhoods, schools, mosques, cemeteries, and industrial and agricultural facilities, eliminating any distinction between civilian and potential resistance-related sites.
Soldiers described orders as “comprehensive and systematic,” leaving the buffer zone resembling a destroyed city.
Some soldiers questioned the lack of clear rules of engagement and oversight, noting that the buffer zone was effectively defined as a “death zone.”
Since the ceasefire in Gaza collapsed on March 18, 2025, following a surprise Israeli attack, Israeli missiles and shells have killed over 1,335 Palestinians and injured more than 3,297.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 50,769 Palestinians, including over 15,617 children, 9,803 women, 232 journalists, and 23 medics. The number of wounded has exceeded 115,475, with children, women, and the elderly making up most of the casualties.
Breaking the Silence, the organization behind these revelations, is an Israeli non-governmental organization founded by veterans of the Israeli army.
It seeks to expose the realities of military actions and policies in the occupied territories through firsthand testimonies from soldiers.
