In a statement expected to provoke strong reactions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has ordered the armed forces to expand their operational control in the Gaza Strip to 70%. Speaking in Hebrew at a conference of the Ein Prat Leadership Academy, Netanyahu claimed that Israel already controls approximately 60% of the territory and set expanding this to 70% as the next objective. According to video from the event broadcast by Channel 12, Netanyahu stated: “At this moment we have full control of 60% of the Gaza Strip territory, and my directive is to reach 70%.”
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Netanyahu on Gaza control expansion: “We’re going step by step”
During the speech, when one of the attendees shouted that Israel should take control of 100% of Gaza, Netanyahu did not reject this possibility as an ultimate goal. Instead, he responded: “We’re going step by step. First 70%. We’ll start from there.” Netanyahu had also admitted the previous week that Israel already controls approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip, a percentage considered significantly larger than what was anticipated under the ceasefire framework.
Maps released by Israel in March showed a new restricted zone beyond the so-called “Yellow Line,” which delineated the Gaza area where Israeli troops remained after the U.S.-mediated ceasefire achieved in October.
The new zone, shown with an orange line on the maps, corresponds to approximately 11% additional Gaza territory. In total, areas under Israeli control or restriction reach nearly two-thirds of the enclave.
New escalation in Gaza
Netanyahu’s statement comes during a period of extremely fragile balance, with Gaza remaining at the center of military operations, humanitarian crisis, and international pressure. The prospect of expanding Israeli control to 70% of the Gaza Strip is expected to provoke reactions from both the Palestinian side and international organizations, as it raises new questions about the region’s future, the fate of the ceasefire, and the day-after plan.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s message
With his statement, the Israeli Prime Minister sends a message that his government does not intend to limit itself to current military control, but seeks to expand IDF presence to an even larger portion of Gaza.
The critical question now is whether the directive for 70% will immediately translate into a new military operation or if it constitutes a political message to Israel’s domestic audience, Hamas, and international mediators.
In any case, the phrase “First 70%” shows that Gaza is entering an even more difficult phase, with the possibility of new expansion of Israeli operations now openly on the table.
