Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently instructed the Israeli military to expand its control over the Gaza Strip to 70%, aiming to intensify pressure on Hamas. At a conference in a West Bank settlement on 29/5, Netanyahu announced this directive.
"We currently control 60% of the territory in the Gaza Strip. It was 50% before, then increased to 60%. My directive is to proceed step by step, aiming for 70% in the immediate future", he stated amid calls for Israel to control the entire area.
According to information provided by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to international aid organizations in late April, Tel Aviv already controlled about 64% of the Gaza Strip. This expansion could force approximately two million Palestinians into an increasingly shrinking area, raising risks of a humanitarian crisis.
 |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in Jerusalem on 19/3. Photo: AFP |
This directive comes amidst a stalled ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States and effective from 10/2025. Under this agreement, the Israeli military is supposed to withdraw to a boundary known as the "yellow line", which delineates roughly 53% of Gaza under Israeli supervision from the remaining territory managed by local forces.
Hamas, on 27/5, accused Israel of shifting this boundary. Hamas labeled this a serious violation of the agreement and an attempt to impose a new status quo by force, thereby solidifying military control over Gaza.
Both Israel and Hamas are obligated to adhere to the ceasefire, but the implementation has been stalled for months. The next phase of the plan anticipates Hamas disarming and the Israeli military gradually withdrawing from occupied areas. However, negotiations on implementing both these provisions are deadlocked.
 |
Location of Gaza City and other municipalities in the Gaza Strip. Graphic: BBC |
Nickolay Mladenov, the Bulgarian diplomat responsible for the agreement's deployment, warned that if talks do not progress, the "yellow line" could become a permanent dividing barrier in Gaza. He noted that civilians continue to die, and many families live in fear of Israeli airstrikes.
Israel has conducted continuous attacks on Gaza since the ceasefire took effect. Israel argues that Hamas is rearming and rebuilding its forces. According to Palestinian health authorities, over 850 people have died in these attacks.
By Thanh Danh (CNN, AFP)
