On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he has instructed the Israeli army to take over more territory in Gaza, starting with “70%”. This directive was given during a meeting held in the West Bank on Thursday and Netanyahu mentioned that Israel is “tightening” its control over Hamas.
Following a series of military strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza that lasted for two years after Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, an agreement was reached in October 2025 for a ceasefire. As part of the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces withdrew to a demarcated “yellow line” that marked their control over approximately 53% of Gaza, with the rest under Hamas rule.
However, Hamas accused Israel of moving this “yellow line”, which they claimed violated the ceasefire agreement and continued to disrupt the peace process. The agreement brokered by the United States in October required Hamas to disarm while Israel would cease attacks. Despite this, Israel has launched multiple attacks in Gaza following reports of Hamas rearming and rebuilding their forces, thus violating the ceasefire terms.
Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, responsible for implementing the agreement, stated earlier this month that Hamas has refused to disarm or deactivate their weapons, a crucial aspect of the ceasefire plan which heavily influences the future of Gaza.
The original plan was for Israeli forces to gradually withdraw from the territory they control in Gaza once Hamas disarmed, and an international security force ensured the safety of the enclave. Although some countries have expressed willingness to contribute to this security force, there is no clear timeline for its deployment. Consequently, Israel has incrementally taken more control of Gaza land as progress on the ceasefire agreement remains stagnant.
Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Israel now controls 60% of Gaza’s territory, up from the initial 50%. He emphasized that Israel is exerting pressure on Hamas from all directions and is determined to eliminate any remaining forces, asserting that buffer zones are being established in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon to prevent potential armed attacks.
Palestinians view Israel’s expansion of the Gaza buffer zone as a strategic move towards their permanent displacement. Simultaneously with Netanyahu’s new directives, Israel has intensified its attacks in Gaza, targeting senior Hamas leaders involved in the 2023 assaults.
On Tuesday, Israel targeted and eliminated a Hamas military commander, just 10 days after the killing of the previous one.
(*This article is based on reports from Reuters and CNN.)