Overview
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a conference he has directed the Israel Defense Forces to move to control 70% of the Gaza Strip.
- Netanyahu said Israeli forces already control about 60% of Gaza and IDF maps shared with aid groups in April showed roughly 64% under military control.
- Hamas called the shift a violation of the October 2025 truce’s “yellow line” and international mediators warned the move could derail stalled second-phase negotiations on disarmament and withdrawal.
- Humanitarian groups say the expansion would compress nearly 2 million Palestinians into a smaller area of a devastated enclave, worsening displacement, shortages, and civilian risk.
- The order, announced on Thursday, May 28, 2026, sharpens regional and diplomatic tensions and raises the prospect of further strikes as Israel continues targeted operations against senior Hamas commanders.