Reservists who recently served in Gaza have described to the Guardian the scale of the new military infrastructure built in the territory by Israel. This includes extensive new camps and roads across a swath of northern and central Gaza.

One recently demobilised officer said he had spent much of the previous 70 days demolishing houses to clear more ground for what had become a series of big military bases in Gaza’s Netzarim corridor, a military zone that has been established between the Mediterranean coast and Gaza’s eastern perimeter fence.

“That was the only mission. There was not a single construction left that was taller than my waist anywhere (in the corridor), except our bases and observation towers,” he said.