Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has confirmed Israeli troops will remain in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria indefinitely.

Katz disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

His comments come as Israel’s military tightens its grip on several occupied territories.

“Unlike in the past, the [Israeli military] is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized,” the statement read.

It added that the army “will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and [Israeli] communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza – as in Lebanon and Syria.”

The military said that it had turned 30 per cent of Gaza into a “security” buffer zone and struck around 1,200 “terror targets” since resuming its offensive on March 18.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annihilate Hamas and return 59 captives being held by armed groups in Gaza, including 24 who Israel believes are alive.

Hamas has said it will not agree to release the captives without a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.