Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to expand\ncontrol over the Gaza Strip to 70% of the Palestinian territory. The\nmove comes amid escalating Israeli military operations despite\nUS-mediated ceasefire efforts.<\/p>\n
During his Thursday statement, Netanyahu said Israeli forces would\ncontinue to gradually expand controlled areas. He openly admitted that\nIsrael has already controlled 50-60%.<\/p>\n
\u2018We are at 50%, we have increased it to 60%. My instruction is to\ncontinue advancing. Let\u2019s take it step by step,\u2019 Netanyahu said at a\nconference in the occupied West Bank settlement, as reported by Reuters\non Friday, May 29, 2026.<\/p>\n
\u2018First, 70%. Let\u2019s start with that. We are pressing them (Hamas) from\nall sides. We will deal with the rest,\u2019 Netanyahu added, reaffirming the\nnext target is to control 70% of Gaza.<\/p>\n
Details show Israel currently controls approximately 64% of the Gaza\nStrip, which has been devastated by war since Hamas\u2019 attack on southern\nIsrael on October 7, 2023. Previously, under a US-mediated ceasefire\nagreement in October, Israel was supposed to retreat to the \u2018Yellow\nLine\u2019, the boundary of mutual control.<\/p>\n
However, Reuters reported that Israel unilaterally moved concrete\nmarkers of the Yellow Line further into areas previously controlled by\nHamas. An Israeli military map released in March also showed an expanded\nno-go zone, placing most of Gaza under Israeli restrictions.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu referred to the territories Israel has seized in Gaza,\nSyria, and Lebanon as \u2018buffer zones\u2019 to prevent future militant attacks.\nConversely, Palestinians view the territorial expansion as part of\nIsrael\u2019s strategy to permanently displace them from Gaza.<\/p>\n
Concerns intensified after senior Israeli officials, including\nDefence Minister Katz, promoted what they termed \u2018voluntary migration\u2019\nfor Gaza residents. The statement drew criticism from various quarters\nfor potentially worsening the humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu\u2019s latest directive came as Israel escalated attacks on Gaza\nto target senior Hamas leaders. On Tuesday, Israel claimed to have\nkilled the head of Hamas\u2019 armed wing, just 10 days after eliminating his\npredecessor.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Gaza health officials reported that Wednesday night\u2019s\nadditional attacks killed at least 10 people, including five children,\nand injured 18 others. The strikes occurred as Palestinians were\ncelebrating Eid al-Adha amidst displacement and war-torn ruins.<\/p>\n
\u2018We went out hearing explosions. We sat for an hour before exiting\nthrough rubble to find a way out of the tent,\u2019 said Gaza resident Etidal\nAl-Za\u2019im.<\/p>\n
Another resident, Abu Azam, said the situation in Gaza is no longer\nsafe. \u2018No one in Gaza is safe. They can be shot on the street, at home,\nin hospital, even on the way to the market,\u2019 he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/revealed-israel-controls-60-of-gaza-aims-for-70-expansion-1780070335", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }