Netanyahu Orders the Israel Army to Occupy 70 Percent of Gaza

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a directive ordering the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to expand their military control over the Gaza Strip to 70 percent of the territory. The announcement, made during a public event in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, signals a significant escalation following a period of gradual advancement beyond previous ceasefire lines.

"We were at 50 [per cent], we moved to 60. My directive is to move to … let's go step by step," Netanyahu stated. "First of all, 70. Let's start with that. We're pressing them [Hamas] from all sides. We'll deal with the remnants."

The order comes amidst a backdrop of shifting ground realities on the battlefield. Under a US-brokered truce in October, which halted two years of conflict triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the IDF was initially left in control of slightly more than 50 percent of the Gaza Strip. However, intelligence and military maps shared with aid groups indicate that Israel has been steadily advancing beyond the so-called "yellow line" ceasefire boundary. By March, the military controlled at least 64 percent of the strip, a figure that rose further in April when maps provided to NGOs revealed a new "orange line" effectively cordoning off nearly two-thirds of the territory.

The expansion has drawn sharp criticism from European allies. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot declared that Israel's actions breach international law, stating, "It is contrary to international law to declare southern Lebanon a combat zone or to declare that 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip will be retaken." Similarly, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed concern, emphasizing Berlin's opposition to any permanent division of Palestinian territory.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has framed the military maneuvers as part of a broader strategy to ensure Hamas cannot rule Gaza, either civilly or militarily. In a recent message congratulating the military on a strike against a Hamas commander, Katz reiterated the government's stance on population movement: "We committed that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily, and so it shall be, and also the voluntary emigration plan from Gaza will be implemented – everything at the right timing and in the right manner."

Palestinian officials and aid groups view the military advance, coupled with ongoing restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, and essential supplies, as a deliberate strategy to force the displacement of Gaza's 2.2 million residents. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with civilians squeezed into the shrinking safe zones.

Despite the existence of a ceasefire intended to be the first stage of a US-brokered peace plan involving a multinational security force and a Palestinian technocratic committee, progress has stalled over disagreements regarding the disarmament of Hamas. Consequently, Israel has continued to carry out nearly daily strikes in Gaza. Local authorities report that these recent attacks, including intensified operations during Eid Al Adha, have killed more than 900 people, pushing the total Palestinian death toll from the war to nearly 73,000.

As the IDF moves to secure the additional territory, the international community watches closely, with diplomatic tensions rising over the potential violation of international norms and the long-term implications for a two-state solution.