Netanyahu orders expansion of Gaza control to 70 per cent amid ceasefire breaches
UN officials warn of permanent deterioration as humanitarian conditions worsen and air raids continue despite the October 2025 US-brokered truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the army to expand its operational control of the Gaza Strip to 70 per cent of the territory, a move that deepens the breach of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement established in October 2025. Footage aired by Israeli media outlet Channel 12 on Thursday showed Netanyahu stating that Israel currently controls 60 per cent of the enclave and directing military forces to reach the 70 per cent threshold.
When prompted by an audience member to take the entire territory, the prime minister affirmed a phased approach, telling The Times of Israel that the government would proceed in order. “First 70 per cent,” he said, adding, “We’ll start with that,” without disputing the possibility of a complete takeover in subsequent stages.
The directive follows revelations that the Israeli army had already expanded its footprint beyond the ‘Yellow Line’ demarcation agreed to in the October 2025 ceasefire. In mid-March, the army sent maps to aid organisations indicating it had moved approximately 11 per cent beyond the agreed boundary, bringing total control to 64 per cent, up from the 53 per cent originally designated for Israeli occupation.
The escalation coincides with renewed violence on the ground. Health authorities reported that an Israeli air raid earlier on Thursday killed at least 10 people, including four children, and wounded 20 others. Conflict monitors note that bombardment has accelerated since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in February, with an Al Jazeera tally recording at least 2,400 violations of the nominal truce between October and April.
The humanitarian situation remains critical, according to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Displaced families are living in overcrowded tents and damaged structures, with scarce clean water and poor waste management increasing health risks. Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative overseeing the US-founded Board of Peace for Gaza, warned the UN Security Council that the deteriorating status quo risks becoming permanent and urged international pressure on Israel to uphold its ceasefire commitments.
Since the war began following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, more than 72,775 Palestinians have been killed. The continued expansion of Israeli control restricts Palestinian access to much of the territory, forcing millions into increasingly confined and dangerous conditions.
