The Israel Defense Forces is creating a security buffer zone on the border with the Gaza Strip which may take up about 16% of the embattled enclave’s territory, Paralel.Az reports citing Haaretz.

The newspaper reports that the zone will be about 1 km wide with all buildings in that area being dismantled, according to satellite images.

Additionally, the news outlet said that Israel plans to split the enclave into two parts, the northern and the southern one. Toward this end, the Israelis are creating another special buffer zone, known as the Netzarim Corridor, to control civilian traffic. In that area, the width of the Gaza Strip will amount to merely 5.5 km when the buffer zone along the border is created.