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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to increase control of Gaza to 70%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, he said, “We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60 percent of the territory of the Strip \u2013 you know this. We were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to,” he said before pausing as someone in the crowd said, “100”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Let’s go step by step. First of all, 70. Let’s start with that. We’re pressing them from all sides, we’ll deal with the remnants.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The expansion in control by Israel contradicts the terms of the Donald Trump-led ceasefire agreement, which Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Netanyahu’s statement comes as Israel continues strikes on Gaza despite the ceasefire, as Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked in indirect, US-brokered talks to advance President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least 738 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect in October, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Netanyahu has made several public remarks confirming that the IDF controls more than 60% of the Strip, up from the 53% agreed at the time of the US-brokered ceasefire deal in October 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under that agreement, the IDF withdrew to a demarcation line, known as the “yellow line”, which left Israel in control of roughly 53% of Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next steps in the 20-point peace proposal<\/a> would see Hamas disarm and Israeli troops withdraw, but indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian armed group have stalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that his country had “pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre” in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We pledged that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also said that what he called the “plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza” would be implemented “at the proper time and in the proper manner”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel’s far-right National Security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have previously publicly defended what they describe as the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from Gaza – which could amount to the forced displacement of civilians, a war crime<\/a> – and resettling it with Jews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This week has also seen several strikes in Gaza. At least 10 people, including five children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a building in Gaza City late on Wednesday, according to local hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Israeli military has released a short statement saying it struck “two central Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip”, without disclosing their identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The target of the attack appeared to have been Hamas battalion commander Imad Asleem, who was killed alongside his teenage daughter Israa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n