Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he gave orders to the IDF to increase control of Gaza from 60% to 70% of the Palestinian enclave. He went on to suggest that Israel could seize the entire Palestinian territory.
“We are currently squeezing Hamas,” the Israeli leader explained at a conference hosted in a West Bank settlement. “We now control 60% of the territory in the Strip. You know, we were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to … 70%.”
🚨Israel’s PM Netanyahu says he has ordered the IDF to seize 70% of the Gaza Strip
Netanyahu: “At this point, we are fully in control of 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip… and my directive is to get to… 70%”
Audience member: “100! 100!”
Netanyahu: “Wait, let’s go in… pic.twitter.com/0ydEEN7rYX
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) May 28, 2026
Netanyahu’s remarks were met with an audience member chanting that Israel should seize 100% of Gaza. The Israeli leader responded, “Wait, let’s go in order. First 70%. Let’s start with that.”
In October, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that separated the Strip along a Yellow Line that nearly equally divided Gaza between Palestinian and Israeli control. The deal called for Israel to slowly withdraw from Gaza as Hamas complied with the agreement.
However, after Hamas turned over all 28 hostages held by the group, Israel and the US altered the demands and said the Palestinians must disarm before Tel Aviv would instruct its forces to withdraw.
Rather than withdrawing from Gaza, the IDF has expanded its control.
