Netanyahu Orders Military to Control Seventy Per Cent of Gaza

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has instructed his nation’s armed forces to seize control of at least 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip. The Prime Minister publicly disclosed this directive whilst participating in a conference held in the occupied West Bank. This declaration, coupled with ongoing military operations on the ground, has triggered a significant escalation of tension across the conflict-ridden Middle East region.

During his address at the West Bank convention, Mr Netanyahu asserted that Israel’s military dominance over the Palestinian movement, Hamas, is growing progressively stronger. To substantiate his claims, he provided specific operational data, stating that Israeli forces have already successfully brought 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip under their direct control.

Incremental Territorial Advancement

Reflecting on the progression of the military campaign, the Prime Minister noted that the proportion of occupied territory previously stood at 50 per cent. He clarified that his current mandate dictates a phased expansion of this operational footprint until it encompasses 70 per cent of the enclave. This figure has been established as the immediate strategic objective for the ongoing military campaign. Reports indicate that the audience present at the venue greeted the Prime Minister’s announcement with applause, with attendees chanting slogans demanding that the entirety of the Gaza Strip be brought under permanent Israeli administration.

However, discrepancies have emerged between the statistical data presented by the Prime Minister and the verifiable reality observed on the ground. According to an official military map supplied by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to international humanitarian aid organisations during the latter part of April, the military had already established control over approximately 64 per cent of the Gaza territory.

Humanitarian Implications: Should Israel proceed to absorb additional sectors of the enclave in line with the new directive, the remaining population of approximately two million Palestinians faces a severe humanitarian crisis. Observers warn that the civilian population will be forced into an exceptionally small, heavily devastated, and entirely blockaded pocket of land.

Hamas Denounces Breach of Ceasefire

The newly announced territorial objective has drawn fierce condemnation and formal objections from Hamas. The group points to a bilateral ceasefire agreement that was formally signed between Israel and Hamas in October 2025. Under the specific terms codified within that treaty, Israeli military operations and deployments were strictly confined within a designated perimeter known as the ‘Yellow Line’. This legally defined boundary restricted the Israeli military presence to approximately 53 per cent of the Gaza Strip.

In an official statement released on Tuesday, Hamas levelled grave accusations against the Israeli administration, asserting that Jerusalem is actively and unilaterally redrawing the established boundaries on the ground. The organisation emphasised that the latest territorial advances by the IDF constitute a flagrant and direct violation of the pre-existing ceasefire agreement. Furthermore, Hamas stated that these actions represent a deliberate effort by Israel to establish a permanent and irreversible military occupation over the Gaza Strip, completely disregarding both bilateral commitments and broader international frameworks.