Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that he directed the Israel Defense Forces, IDF, to increase control of Gaza to 70%.
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, he said, they are currently pressuring Hamas, as they now control 60 percent of the territory of the Strip.
The expansion in control by Israel contradicts the terms of the president of the United States, Donald Trump’s-led ceasefire agreement, which Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025.
Netanyahu said this following Israel’s continued strikes on Gaza despite the ceasefire, as Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked in indirect as US-brokered talks to advance Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.