Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Israel Defence Forces to seize 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, a dramatic expansion of Israeli control that effectively overturns the US-brokered ceasefire framework implemented last October.
Speaking at several public events, including the Jordan Valley Conference and the Ein Prat Leadership Academy, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had already expanded its control of Gaza from 50 per cent to 60 per cent. When an audience member suggested that Israel should ultimately seize "100 per cent" of the territory, Netanyahu did not reject the idea. Instead, he replied that Israel was proceeding in stages: "First 70 per cent, we'll start with that."
The remarks represent the clearest indication yet that Israel is moving beyond the terms of the Trump-backed peace framework. Under the original 20-point plan, Israeli forces were expected to withdraw to a temporary demarcation boundary known as the Yellow Line. The arrangement left Israel in direct control of roughly 53 per cent of Gaza, while Hamas would administer the remaining western section pending future negotiations.
The agreement explicitly stated that Palestinians would not be forcibly displaced from Gaza. It also envisaged a phased process in which Hamas would disarm while Israel gradually reduced its military presence. Events on the ground, however, have moved in the opposite direction.
By March this year, the IDF had quietly informed aid organisations that it had expanded its operational zone by a further 11 per cent beyond the agreed Yellow Line into a newly designated restricted area. According to humanitarian groups and local witnesses, this expansion has been achieved through the gradual movement of defensive berms, concrete barriers and military positions deeper into Palestinian territory. The result has been the creation of an increasingly militarised buffer zone where Israeli troops maintain broad authority to engage anyone perceived as a threat.
To minimise direct exposure of its own soldiers, Israel has also relied increasingly on armed anti-Hamas Palestinian militias. One such force, led by Gaza warlord Ashraf al-Mansi, has been used to clear neighbourhoods near the demarcation areas. Residents and witnesses say these groups have ordered families to abandon their homes and warned them not to return.
Netanyahu's push for greater territorial control appears closely tied to his domestic political calculations. Facing a difficult re-election battle, the Israeli leader has sought to rally support among his right-wing base at a time when concerns are growing over Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the implications of ongoing US diplomatic engagement with Iran.
Many of Netanyahu's supporters regard the current situation in Gaza as unfinished business. For them, Israel's control of 53 per cent of the territory represents neither victory nor security. Expanding that control to 70 per cent helps Netanyahu appeal to coalition partners who favour permanent Israeli sovereignty over both Gaza and the West Bank. Several influential ministers have publicly advocated policies that critics describe as forced displacement. Defence Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have all promoted what they call "voluntary migration" for Palestinians. Human rights organisations argue that such proposals amount to a blueprint for ethnic cleansing under another name.
Against this backdrop, the October ceasefire survives largely on paper. Monitors have documented thousands of alleged Israeli violations since the truce took effect. At the same time, the Trump-appointed Board of Peace, overseen by former UN diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, has largely blamed Hamas for refusing to disarm. Hamas rejects that assessment, arguing that disarmament cannot occur while Israeli military operations continue and while troops remain beyond the original ceasefire boundaries.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue conducting targeted strikes against Hamas figures throughout Gaza. Recent operations have killed senior commanders, including Ezz al-Din Beik, Imad Aslim, Ihab Khrizim and Mohammed Odeh, the movement's newly appointed military wing chief.
For Gaza's civilian population, the consequences are becoming increasingly severe. Should Israel succeed in establishing control over 70 per cent of the territory, Gaza's remaining 2.1 million residents would be compressed into less than one-third of the enclave. Much of that remaining area has already been devastated by nearly three years of conflict. It would effectively suffocate the population. Families displaced by the expanding security zones are already living in overcrowded conditions marked by shortages of clean water, poor sanitation and rising health risks.
Critics think Netanyahu's recent statements could be a death knell for the Trump plan. And with Trump's attention pulled in other directions, there are growing fears he may walk away from the Gaza deal entirely—leaving what remains of the Palestinian territory to be dealt with through an Israeli military lens rather than around a negotiating table.
