Yes. If you want a buffer zone with your neighbor, you build it on YOUR property. If you build it on theirs, you’ve annexed their land.

@mqudsi that's quite a stretch. By that argument south Korea annexed North Korean land because part of the DMZ is north of the border.

@ShakedKoplewitz WTF are you talking about? Of course a buffer zone inside Gaza counts. You are delusional.

@datachef alright, getting out of this market, you're nuts.

@ShakedKoplewitz what do you call that?

@datachef a DMZ? Like in Korea or Cyprus

@ShakedKoplewitz but it involves seizing new land. You seem to be ignoring that bit in favor of classifying the outcome. And we both know it’s going to be anything but a DMZ. that stands for “demilitarized zone” when in fact Israel will arm it to the teeth. It won’t be no man’s land, it will be where the IDF operates from. Completely different. South Korea and North Korea never enter each others territory but that is not ever going to happen with Israel. So it’s not a DMZ and never will be. It’s an annexation.

@datachef the difference is that unlike north Korea, Gaza doesn't have a non-terrorist government that can be trusted to maintain demilitarization. The function is the exact same - it's an area on both sides of the border designated as a separation buffer zone, not an area annexed for civilian purposes (which is what annexation means). How it's staffed isn't relevant here.

@ShakedKoplewitz this standard isn't a prediction market, it's an attempt at a motte and Bailey argument - look for a minimum defensible definition of "annexation" that you can use to accuse Israel of. It's clearly not the central meaning of the word, and if you were honest about fact-based discourse you'd label this market appropriately (e.g. "Will the Gaza/Israel demilitarized zone stretch further into Gaza than prewar" is clear, neutral and unambiguous).

@ShakedKoplewitz so stealing land is okay and not annexation if the military does it and keeps it??? By your definition Russian never annexed the Donbas in Ukraine because they haven’t moved any Russian civilians in. Nonsense.

Agreed, this question needs more detail. Coverage implies that there are Israeli settlers interested in moving.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/31/israeli-settlers-eye-return-to-gaza

Does "annex" mean formally (like the golan heights), no formal annexation but the construction of a legal settlement (like the west bank), an illegal non-sanctioned settlement, or military presence?

(To my mind the last one clearly doesn't count and the second last is borderline - probably only if the government doesn't take any steps to dismantle it - but according to the strict definition of the word annex only the first should actually count).

How do you define ‘annex’? What are the resolution criteria?