Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel intends to increase its control of the Gaza Strip to 70 percent [2].
The announcement signals a potential escalation in territorial occupation that may conflict with current diplomatic arrangements and ceasefire agreements.
Netanyahu said that the Israeli military is currently operating in 60 percent of the Gaza Strip territory [1]. He said the move to expand this footprint is intended to tighten the grip on Hamas [1].
Despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement, the prime minister confirmed the military objective to reach the higher threshold of control [2]. This directive involves ordering the army to seize additional areas of the territory to further degrade the capabilities of the militant group [3].
"Right now, we are tightening the grip on Hamas," Netanyahu said. "We are now in 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip" [1].
He said the military would push forward with the expansion of its presence regardless of the current peace terms. "We will increase Israeli control of Gaza to 70 percent, despite the cease‑fire agreement," Netanyahu said [2].
The push for expanded control comes as the Israeli military continues its operations across the region. The increase from 60 percent [1] to 70 percent [2] represents a significant shift in the operational footprint within the enclave.
“"We will increase Israeli control of Gaza to 70 percent, despite the cease‑fire agreement."”
This commitment to expand territorial control suggests that Israel views the current ceasefire as insufficient for achieving its security goals. By explicitly stating that the military will increase its presence to 70 percent, Netanyahu is prioritizing the degradation of Hamas's infrastructure over the strict adherence to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which may heighten tensions with international mediators.
