Netanyahu Orders Israeli Control of 70 Percent of Gaza Strip

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to expand operational control of the Gaza Strip to 70 percent, increasing it from the 60 percent currently held. This directive explicitly defies an October 2025 ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump, which established a demarcation known as the yellow line and limited Israeli control to approximately 53 percent. The expansion involves armored advances and the construction of 40 military positions, including trenches and berms encircling Palestinian population centers.

Concurrent with the territorial expansion, Israel intensified targeted strikes against Hamas leadership, killing the head of the Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Odeh, and other senior commanders. However, these operations resulted in significant civilian casualties, including strikes on residential apartments in Gaza City that killed nine people and an Eid al-Adha attack that killed 10, including five children. Former Israeli reservists and the group Breaking the Silence have alleged a shoot-to-kill policy along the yellow line, describing a permissive environment where civilians are killed based on hunches.

Hamas condemned the expansion as a dangerous escalation and a plan for ethnic cleansing. The United Nations, UNICEF, and the governments of Germany and the United Kingdom expressed deep concern, warning that the seizures would exacerbate a critical humanitarian crisis. Simultaneously, regional tensions escalated as Israel conducted strikes in Beirut and the Bekaa region of Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah leaders and prompting threats from Secretary-General Naim Qassem to overthrow the Lebanese government.