During a recent announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he had instructed the Israeli military to increase their control over Gaza, starting with capturing 70% of the Palestinian territory. Gaza’s population is currently confined to a small strip of land along the coast, with Israel already holding sway over about 64% of this region after a prolonged military campaign in response to a Hamas attack in 2023.
Following a truce brokered by the U.S. in October, Israeli forces were supposed to retreat to a demarcated “Yellow Line” delineating their jurisdiction. However, reports suggest that Israel independently shifted the physical markers of this line deeper into Hamas-controlled areas, effectively extending their dominion to approximately 64% of Gaza as per updated military maps from March.
Netanyahu has consistently stated that Israel’s military already commands over 60% of Gaza. Addressing a conference in a West Bank settlement, he mentioned plans to further expand Israel’s control over Gaza beyond the current levels.
“We started at 50, progressed to 60. My directive is to continue advancing — let’s do this incrementally,” Netanyahu explained. “Let’s initiate with 70%. We are exerting pressure on Hamas from all sides. We will address the remaining challenges.”
Israel’s Intensified Actions in Gaza
Netanyahu justifies Israel’s occupation of territories in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon as creating “buffer zones” to prevent potential militant incursions following the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, triggering the Gaza conflict.
Palestinians interpret Israel’s expansion of the Gaza buffer zone as part of a strategy aimed at displacing them permanently, citing statements from senior officials, including Defence Minister Israel Katz, advocating for “voluntary migration” from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel has ramped up its offensive in Gaza, targeting senior Hamas figures allegedly involved in the 2023 attacks. Recent operations resulted in the elimination of Hamas’s armed wing leader and his predecessor, within a short span.
Israeli forces targeted Mohammad Odeh, the new commander of Hamas’s military wing, in a Gaza airstrike. Odeh’s predecessor met a similar fate just days earlier. Gaza health officials confirmed that the strike on Tuesday resulted in six fatalities and over 20 injuries.
Reports from Gaza health officials indicate that a recent strike by Israel, purportedly aimed at two Hamas leaders, led to the deaths of at least 10 individuals, including five children, and left 18 others injured.
This incident occurred during the observance of Eid al-Adha, with many Gazans congregating in tent encampments and damaged structures to mark the holiday. Etidal