Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday he has directed the military to seize control of 70% of Gaza, exceeding the October ceasefire agreement terms.
4:05 PM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he has ordered the Israeli military to take control of 70% of the Gaza Strip, a significant expansion beyond the terms of the ceasefire agreement reached in October.
Netanyahu made the announcement at a public event in a West Bank settlement. Speaking to an audience, he stated that Israeli forces currently control approximately 60% of Gaza, having advanced from 50%, and that he has issued orders to reach 70%.
According to the October ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Israeli forces withdrew to a demarcation line known as the "yellow line," which gave Israel direct control of 53% of the occupied territory. Netanyahu's announced target of 70% represents approximately 17 percentage points above what the ceasefire agreement stipulates.
The announcement comes as Israeli forces have steadily advanced their positions westward into areas previously controlled by Hamas. Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces are "squeezing Hamas" as part of operations across multiple fronts.
At the settlement event, Netanyahu paused during his remarks to invite the audience to guess the percentage he intended to reach. When someone called out "100 percent," referring to total control of Gaza, Netanyahu responded: "We are going in order. First 70%, we start with that."
The move threatens the fragility of the ceasefire that has been in place since October. The agreement represented the first phase of a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to address the conflict.
Netanyahu's announcement was made amid his political situation ahead of elections. The Israeli military has been managing operations across multiple fronts, according to statements attributed to the Prime Minister.
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