Revealed: Israel Controls 60% of Gaza, Aims for 70% Expansion
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to expand control over the Gaza Strip to 70% of the Palestinian territory. The move comes amid escalating Israeli military operations despite US-mediated ceasefire efforts.
During his Thursday statement, Netanyahu said Israeli forces would continue to gradually expand controlled areas. He openly admitted that Israel has already controlled 50-60%.
‘We are at 50%, we have increased it to 60%. My instruction is to continue advancing. Let’s take it step by step,’ Netanyahu said at a conference in the occupied West Bank settlement, as reported by Reuters on Friday, May 29, 2026.
‘First, 70%. Let’s start with that. We are pressing them (Hamas) from all sides. We will deal with the rest,’ Netanyahu added, reaffirming the next target is to control 70% of Gaza.
Details show Israel currently controls approximately 64% of the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by war since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Previously, under a US-mediated ceasefire agreement in October, Israel was supposed to retreat to the ‘Yellow Line’, the boundary of mutual control.
However, Reuters reported that Israel unilaterally moved concrete markers of the Yellow Line further into areas previously controlled by Hamas. An Israeli military map released in March also showed an expanded no-go zone, placing most of Gaza under Israeli restrictions.
Netanyahu referred to the territories Israel has seized in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon as ‘buffer zones’ to prevent future militant attacks. Conversely, Palestinians view the territorial expansion as part of Israel’s strategy to permanently displace them from Gaza.
Concerns intensified after senior Israeli officials, including Defence Minister Katz, promoted what they termed ‘voluntary migration’ for Gaza residents. The statement drew criticism from various quarters for potentially worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Netanyahu’s latest directive came as Israel escalated attacks on Gaza to target senior Hamas leaders. On Tuesday, Israel claimed to have killed the head of Hamas’ armed wing, just 10 days after eliminating his predecessor.
Meanwhile, Gaza health officials reported that Wednesday night’s additional attacks killed at least 10 people, including five children, and injured 18 others. The strikes occurred as Palestinians were celebrating Eid al-Adha amidst displacement and war-torn ruins.
‘We went out hearing explosions. We sat for an hour before exiting through rubble to find a way out of the tent,’ said Gaza resident Etidal Al-Za’im.
Another resident, Abu Azam, said the situation in Gaza is no longer safe. ‘No one in Gaza is safe. They can be shot on the street, at home, in hospital, even on the way to the market,’ he said.