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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the Israeli military to expand its control of the Gaza Strip to 70% of the territory, up from the roughly 60% it currently holds. Speaking at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement on Thursday, Netanyahu said: "We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60% of the territory in the strip. You know, we were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to... 70%." He added that Israel would proceed "step by step," starting with 70% and "dealing with the remnants" of Hamas.

Netanyahu made similar remarks at the Jordan Valley Conference and at a government meeting, according to multiple reports. The announcement comes as the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 has failed to halt Israeli attacks or secure Hamas's disarmament, and as indirect talks between Israel and Hamas remain stalled.

Israel's military expansion has drawn concern from Germany, which opposes any permanent division of Gaza. The move also raises questions about the durability of the nominal ceasefire, as fears grow of a return to full-scale war.

Coverage Comparison

Netanyahu's directive was reported by multiple outlets, with some differences in emphasis. The BBC reported that the expansion "would contradict the terms of the Donald Trump-led ceasefire" agreed in October 2025. Al Jazeera similarly noted that the expansion "raises questions over the durability of the nominal ceasefire." The Hindu described the move as "in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire."

ABC Australia and the South China Morning Post both framed the development around the failure of the US-brokered truce, noting that it "has failed to halt Israeli attacks or secure Hamas's disarmament." Both outlets also cited an estimate that Israel effectively controls about 64% of Gaza, a figure based on military maps and analysis.

The Jerusalem Post, which covered the story from an Israeli perspective, emphasized Netanyahu's announcement that Israel holds 60% of the Strip and his directive to reach 70%. The newspaper also highlighted the IDF's stated mission to fully disarm Hamas, quoting Chief of the General Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir as saying the military is "strengthening operational control on the ground and continues to erode Hamas's power."

TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported on the broader scope of Israel's military strategy, citing The Financial Times as saying Israel has occupied about 1,000 square kilometers of Middle Eastern territory across Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Syria. According to that report, nearly half of the occupied territory is in southern Lebanon, and nearly two million Gaza residents now inhabit only 40% of the enclave's pre-war territory.

Key Claims

  • Netanyahu announced that Israel currently controls 60% of the Gaza Strip and directed the military to increase that to 70%.
  • Israel effectively controls an estimated 64% of Gaza, according to an analysis of military maps reported by ABC Australia and the South China Morning Post.
  • The October 2025 ceasefire, brokered by the US, was meant to see Israeli troops withdraw to a "Yellow Line" demarcating control of about 53% of Gaza.
  • At least 738 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable, as reported by the BBC.
  • The next steps in the 20-point peace proposal would see Hamas disarm and Israeli troops withdraw, but indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled, according to the BBC.
  • The German government expressed concern over Israeli plans to extend military control of Gaza, opposing any permanent division of the enclave, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Perspectives

Israeli government: Netanyahu frames the expansion as squeezing Hamas and preventing it from rearming, stating: "We're pressing them from all sides. We'll deal with the remnants." The IDF says it is strengthening operational control and will not give up on disarming Hamas.

German government: A spokesperson for the German Foreign Office said Berlin opposes any permanent division of Gaza, expressing concern over the expansion.

Hamas (implicitly through the ceasefire context): The ceasefire terms, which Israel's expansion contradicts, reflect Hamas's position that Israeli forces should withdraw to the Yellow Line. Hamas has not commented directly in the reported material.