Overview
- Netanyahu said Thursday he has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to increase their hold on Gaza from the 60% he recently claimed to control to a new target of 70%.
- The Israeli military reported it killed Mohammad Odeh, a senior Hamas military figure, in an airstrike in Gaza and a family member told Reuters he died with his wife and son while Hamas had not issued an official statement.
- Indirect negotiations for a renewed truce remain stalled and operations have continued since the fragile October 2025 ceasefire, with Israel publicly citing a previous security benchmark called the “Line Yellow.”
- Gaza’s Health Ministry says the offensive since the October ceasefire has killed 922 people and injured 2,786, and the deeper ground control directive will intensify displacement and aid access problems for roughly two million residents.
- The move reflects domestic political pressures inside Israel, including far-right proposals about Gaza’s future, and is likely to complicate U.S. and regional diplomacy aimed at securing a lasting pause in the fighting.