Netanyahu Orders Military to Seize 70% of Gaza, Ceasefire at Risk of Collapse

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced ordering his military to seize control of 70% of the Gaza Strip. This aggressive move is seen as violating the US-mediated ceasefire agreement from last October and risks triggering a far greater humanitarian disaster. Netanyahu made the statement during a speech at a settlement in the West Bank. With his political position under threat ahead of upcoming elections, he openly outlined Israel’s territorial expansion goals. ‘We are currently pressuring Hamas. We now control 60% of the Gaza Strip. You know, previously we were at 50%, then moved to 60. My directive is to move up to… 70%,’ Netanyahu said. Under last October’s ceasefire agreement, the Israeli military was supposed to withdraw to a demarcation line granting them direct control over 53% of Gaza. However, Israeli forces have continued advancing westward into Hamas-held territory. Over the eight months of the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes and gunfire have killed over 900 Palestinians. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated the government’s ultimate aim is for Palestinians to leave Gaza through what he calls ‘voluntary migration’. Human rights activists have strongly condemned the plan, labelling it a long-term ethnic cleansing tactic designed to render Gaza uninhabitable. This territorial expansion is also seen as undermining Donald Trump’s 20-point peace blueprint, which previously guaranteed no forced displacement of residents from Gaza. ‘Netanyahu has effectively declared Trump’s entire Gaza framework null and void. That’s the crux of it. There is no other way to put it,’ said Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. If the Israeli military takes control of 70% of the territory, the remaining 2.2 million Palestinians would be forced to crowd into an area less than a third of Gaza’s original size. Moreover, Israel-backed armed militias have reportedly become increasingly aggressive in displacing civilians along the ceasefire line. Wael Nayef Abu al-Ajeen, 26, a resident of Deir al-Balah, recounted how his family was forcibly evicted by armed militias earlier this month and barred from returning. Nasser Khdour, a conflict analyst from ACLED, confirmed the militias are not only targeting Hamas but also involved in killings, arrests, and abductions of civilians to push them further west. When asked about the threat of territorial expansion, an Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment and referred the matter to political authorities. (The Guardian/Z-2) This comes amid growing reports and testimonies of abuses against Palestinian detainees and prisoners. Israeli soldiers have closed mosque gates and inspected worshippers at entrances, forcing some to go to other mosques after delays. However, the current situation is vastly different. Eid al-Adha, typically celebrated over four days, has lost its meaning. It is understandable that condemnation from world leaders has followed. The question is whether such verbal criticism is enough to pressure Israel?