Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to expand control over the Gaza Strip to 70%, according to footage broadcast by Channel 12 on Thursday (May 28).
"At this point, we fully control 60% of the Gaza Strip… and my instruction is to reach… 70%," Netanyahu told a crowd.
When a member of the audience called for Israel to take over the entire territory, the prime minister replied, "We are proceeding in order," according to The Times of Israel. "First, 70%," he said without dismissing the possibility of taking over all of Gaza.
Earlier, in mid-March, the Israeli military quietly sent maps to aid organizations showing they had expanded control by 11% beyond the "Yellow Line" — the boundary of areas occupied by the Israeli military agreed upon in the US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025. This meant Israel controlled 64% of Palestinian territory, instead of 53%.
Due to the occupation, Palestinians cannot access about two-thirds of the Gaza Strip. Further expansion would force 2 million people, already living in catastrophic conditions, to crowd into even smaller areas after two years of war.
Despite the nominal ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes continue almost daily. Al Jazeera statistics from October to April recorded at least 2,400 ceasefire violations. On Thursday, the Gaza Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City killed at least 10 people, including four children, and wounded 20 others.
According to the latest report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains very serious. Families live in overcrowded tents, schools, or damaged infrastructure. Clean water is scarce, and poor garbage collection increases health risks, including the spread of rats and insects. Many areas remain dangerous due to frequent airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire.
Last week, special envoy Nickolay Mladenov — head of the US-founded Peace Council for Gaza — warned that the deteriorating situation risks becoming "permanent." He called on the UN Security Council to pressure Hamas to disarm and Israel to adhere to ceasefire commitments.
The war launched by Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 72,775 Palestinians. The conflict intensified in February, when Israel launched an operation against Iran, accelerating the bombing of Gaza.
