### The Netzarim corridor: a new deal in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The takeover of the Netzarim corridor by the Israeli army raises concerns both humanitarian and strategic. After a cease-fire that had aroused a certain hope among the Gazaouis, this military maneuver has profoundly changed the balance of forces inside the enclave. Even if the Israeli army describes its operation as “targeted” and describes it as an attempt to create a partial buffer zone between the north and southern regions of Gaza, the reality experienced by the inhabitants on the ground is quite different.
#### A buffer area: reality or illusion of safety?
The idea of a buffer zone, which the Israeli army evokes as a measure aimed at protecting its borders, is fraught with consequences for civilians. The Gazaouis, already marked by years of conflict, find themselves trapped in a limited space, cornered between the army and the restrictions imposed on their freedom of movement. The management of the Netzarim corridor by an Egyptian company and American allies initially promised to bring a certain stability, but it would seem that it only accentuated tensions.
Comparedly, the situation recalls the experiences lived in other conflict zones, as in the Haut-Karabakh region in 2020, where “buffer zones” were established without adequate consultation of local populations. In these cases, the buffer zones have often been used to intensify hostilities rather than reducing them.
#### The dangers of a general offensive
The fears expressed by the Gazaouis of a wider offensive are well founded. The current dynamics of the conflict presents parallels with the 2014 protective border operation, where military climbing caused massive human losses and an alarming humanitarian crisis. In fact, according to the UN, almost 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis died during this conflict, a figure that remains engraved in the collective memory.
The absence of safe places for the civilian population pushes residents to wander in the streets, exacerbating a feeling of helplessness that Gazaouis know well. The current generation, which grew up at the heart of this conflict, saw its hopes vanish several times, even though the promises of peace go out one after the other.
### The role of international actors
In this context, the contribution of Egypt and the United States adds a complex dimension to the crisis. Their involvement could be interpreted as a desire to stabilize the situation, but it also raises questions about the reality of their influence. The United States, in particular, has long been criticized for its unconditional support in Israel, which complicates the narrativity of yesteryear according to which they are neutral mediators in the conflict.
It would be just as relevant to explore how international perceptions can influence local attitudes. Media support, like that relayed by Fatshimetrie.org, plays a crucial role in the training of public opinion and can lead to both internal and international mobilizations.
#### towards an uncertain future
The current situation in the netzarim corridor must be understood as a piece of a wider chessboard, where each movement could have repercussions far beyond the borders of Gaza. The risks of military escalation, potential humanitarian disasters, and the growing frustrations of Gazaouis draw a rather uncertain picture for the future.
Thus, instead of seeing this area as a simple geographic space, it is necessary to pay attention to it as at a point of convergence of aspirations, fears and strategies of the actors involved. The voices of the Gazaouis, often suffocated in the sound of political and military flights, deserve to be heard in order to properly inform an international community which, very often, remains outside the daily human experience of the victims of the conflict.
The netzarim corridor is therefore much more than a simple line on a map: it is the reflection of the complex dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a silent witness to human sufferings and, perhaps, a catalyst towards a necessary awareness. Together, it is everyone to rethink these issues, by rejecting the walls of indifference which surround the lives of people caught in the eye of the cyclone.