Netanyahu Gaza Control Push Threatens to Unravel Ceasefire Terms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set off fresh concern with his Netanyahu Gaza control directive, announcing that he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to expand their hold over the territory to 70 percent. The statement signals a deepening of Israel’s military posture even as a fragile ceasefire and stalled peace talks hang in the balance.

The move appears to run counter to the terms of the agreement brokered under President Donald Trump’s leadership, raising questions about the durability of the truce reached in October 2025.

The Prime Minister’s Remarks

Speaking at a conference on Thursday, Netanyahu described an ongoing effort to tighten the pressure on Hamas. He noted that Israel currently controls 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, up from an earlier figure of 50 percent, and made clear his intention to push further.

The exchange took on a striking tone when, as Netanyahu paused mid-sentence, a member of the audience called out “100.” The prime minister responded by urging a measured approach, saying the goal should be reached step by step. He stated that the immediate target was 70 percent, adding that Israel was pressing Hamas from all sides and would deal with the remnants.

A Contradiction of Ceasefire Terms

The planned expansion directly conflicts with the framework Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025. Under that ceasefire, the IDF had withdrawn to a demarcation line known as the “yellow line,” with control set at 53 percent of the territory.

Netanyahu has since made several public statements confirming that Israeli forces now control more than 60 percent of the Strip, a clear departure from the agreed terms. His latest directive to reach 70 percent would widen that gap further.

Strikes Continue Amid Stalled Talks

The announcement comes against a backdrop of continued Israeli military action in Gaza, even as the ceasefire technically remains in place. Israel and Hamas remain locked in indirect, U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at advancing Trump’s peace plan, but those talks have stalled.

The human cost has been significant. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable, at least 738 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect in October.

The Roadmap That Has Stalled

The broader peace effort centers on a detailed proposal that envisions a series of mutual steps. The next phases of the 20-point plan would require:

• Hamas to disarm
• Israeli troops to withdraw from the territory

However, the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have ground to a halt, leaving these steps unrealized and the path forward uncertain.

Hardline Statements From Israeli Officials

Several Israeli officials have reinforced a tough stance. Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media that Israel had pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre of 2023. He also vowed that Hamas would not be allowed to govern Gaza, either civilly or militarily.

Katz further referenced what he called a plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza, saying it would be implemented at the proper time and in the proper manner. This concept has drawn sharp scrutiny. Far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have previously defended the idea of what they describe as voluntary migration of Palestinians from Gaza, paired with resettling the territory with Jews. Critics warn that such a plan could amount to the forced displacement of civilians, which would constitute a war crime.

A Week of Deadly Strikes

The period surrounding Netanyahu’s announcement saw a series of Israeli strikes in Gaza. Among the most devastating, at least 10 people, including five children, were killed in a strike on a building in Gaza City late on Wednesday, according to local hospitals.

The Israeli military offered only a brief explanation, saying it had struck what it called two central Hamas operatives in the northern Gaza Strip without disclosing their identities. The target appeared to be a Hamas battalion commander, who was reportedly killed alongside his teenage daughter.

Other recent strikes have targeted high-ranking figures:

• The newly chosen head of the Hamas military wing was killed along with his wife and two sons in an Israeli strike a day earlier, with one other woman reportedly killed.
• A strike on a car in Khan Younis reportedly killed the head of a Hamas funds transfer network and a unit commander said to have been involved in weapons manufacturing.

The War’s Origins and Toll

The current conflict traces back to the Hamas-led attack of 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage. Israel responded with a massive military campaign that reduced much of Gaza to ruins and displaced a large share of the territory’s 2.1 million residents.

The cumulative toll has been staggering. According to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry that the UN regards as reliable, by mid-May 2026, more than 72,000 Palestinians had been killed and over 172,000 injured. Among the dead, at least 21,283 were children.

What It All Means

Netanyahu’s directive to expand control to 70 percent represents a significant escalation that sits uneasily alongside the stated goal of a negotiated peace. By openly exceeding the territorial limits set in the October ceasefire, Israel signals that military pressure remains central to its strategy, even as diplomatic efforts continue in the background.

The combination of expanding control, ongoing strikes, and stalled negotiations leaves the ceasefire in a precarious state. With talks deadlocked and the death toll continuing to climb, the prospects for the next phases of the peace plan, including Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal, appear increasingly distant.

For the people of Gaza, the immediate reality remains one of continued violence and uncertainty. As the war stretches on and international attention focuses on the fate of Trump’s peace plan, the gap between the framework’s promises and the situation on the ground continues to widen. How Israel, Hamas, and the international mediators reconcile these competing realities will shape whether the fragile truce can survive or whether the conflict enters yet another devastating phase.

This article covers an ongoing armed conflict involving significant loss of life. The figures and accounts described reflect reporting from the sources cited and a deeply contested and painful situation.