Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he has instructed the army to extend its control to 70% of the Gaza Strip, in a move that appears to go beyond the terms of the ceasefire announced in October.
Under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces withdrew to a demarcation line known as the “yellow line,” retaining control of around 53% of Gaza.
Speaking at a conference in an Israeli settlement in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said the military had already expanded its control beyond that level.
“We are currently encircling Hamas. We now control 60% of Gaza. As you know, we were at 50%, then moved to 60%, and my instructions are to reach 70%,” he said, according to footage broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12.
He added: “We are surrounding them from all sides… we will take the rest later.”
The comments come as Israeli air strikes continue across Gaza, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of breaching the ceasefire announced on 10 October, following two years of conflict that began with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
According to the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces were expected to remain behind the so‑called yellow line within Gaza, maintaining control over just over half of the territory, while Hamas retained control of the rest.
However, Netanyahu said earlier this month that the army had already expanded the area under its control. “There were those who called on us to withdraw, but we did not withdraw. Today we control 60% of the territory. Tomorrow you will see,” he said on 15 May.
The latest remarks indicate a further step in that direction, as military operations continue amid stalled efforts to stabilise the ceasefire.
Source: ERT/skynewsarabia
