Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he instructed the Israeli military to take control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, a move observers warn could undermine the already fragile ceasefire and worsen humanitarian conditions in the war-ravaged territory.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire reached in October, Israeli forces had withdrawn to a demarcation line that left Israel in direct control of about 53 per cent of Gaza. Since then, reports indicate that Israeli troops have steadily expanded westward into areas controlled by Hamas while declaring wider buffer zones where the army claims authority to restrict entry and use force against perceived threats, The Guardian reported.
In recent days, armed militias backed by Israel were also reported to have played an increasing role in clearing areas near the ceasefire line by instructing residents to leave their homes and shelters.
Despite the ceasefire remaining formally in place, Israeli forces have continued firing at Palestinians near the so-called “yellow line” dividing Gaza and have carried out airstrikes deeper inside the territory. Reports claimed that more than 900 Palestinians had been killed since the truce began.
Speaking at a conference in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s territorial objectives, saying the military currently controlled around 60 per cent of Gaza and that he had ordered further expansion to 70 per cent.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the government’s long-term objective was to encourage large-scale Palestinian departure from Gaza through what he described as “voluntary migration”. Human rights activists, however, have characterised such policies as part of a broader strategy aimed at making living conditions unbearable and forcing displacement.
Critics argued that any further territorial expansion by Israel would violate the October ceasefire agreement, the related United Nations Security Council resolution endorsing it, and US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, which had envisaged the yellow line as a temporary division pending further negotiations.
The Trump plan had also stated that no Palestinians would be forced to leave Gaza and that those wishing to leave would be free to return, while efforts would be made to support rebuilding the territory.
Reports further noted that Israeli forces had systematically destroyed many remaining structures within areas under their control. Analysts warned that if Israeli control expanded to 70 per cent of Gaza, the territory’s 2.2 million residents would be confined to less than one-third of the enclave, intensifying already severe overcrowding.
Human rights researcher Shehada described conditions in Gaza as catastrophic, saying the territory was already among the most overcrowded places in the world, with displaced families and makeshift shelters occupying nearly every available space. Shehada warned that further displacement could amount to a death sentence for many people who had nowhere left to go.
An Israeli army spokesperson declined to comment directly on Netanyahu’s statement, referring inquiries to the political leadership.
According to a recent UN briefing seen by media outlets, Israeli forces have continued expanding their positions during the ceasefire. The briefing documented daily tank advances and drone activity near Jabalia in northern Gaza, as well as further troop movements east of Khan Younis.
The same briefing also referred to an Israeli-backed anti-Hamas militia led by Gaza-based warlord Ashraf al-Mansi, which was said to have advanced westward from the yellow line around Jabalia. Such militias were functioning increasingly as auxiliary forces for the Israeli military, attacking Hamas while also instructing Palestinian civilians to evacuate nearby areas.
A UN Security Council resolution passed in November had delegated oversight of the ceasefire to a Trump-appointed Board of Peace, which named veteran Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov as the high representative in Gaza.
Mladenov faced criticism over a recent report to the Security Council that primarily blamed Hamas for failures in the ceasefire process, accusing the group of refusing to disarm while allegedly not sufficiently addressing Israeli violations. Hamas, meanwhile, indicated willingness to discuss disarmament once Israel fulfilled obligations under the first phase of the ceasefire, including halting bombardments and withdrawing to the original demarcation line.
Israeli analyst Gershon Baskin, who has participated in past Israeli-Palestinian backchannel negotiations, said he believed the original ceasefire framework had effectively collapsed.