Netanyahu orders military to seize 70 per cent of Gaza Strip

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to extend control over 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, as ceasefire talks with Hamas remain deadlocked and ground operations intensify.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed his military to extend its control over 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, significantly escalating the country's offensive operations in the war-torn enclave.

Speaking at a conference in the West Bank, Netanyahu declared that Israeli forces are currently encircling Hamas from all directions. "We are pressing Hamas from every side," he said, adding that Israeli troops presently hold approximately 60 per cent of Gaza's territory. He confirmed that he has now ordered that figure to be raised to 70 per cent.

Netanyahu noted that under the earlier ceasefire arrangements, Israeli forces had been confined to roughly half of the Gaza Strip. The new directive represents a deliberate and substantial departure from those terms.

The announcement comes at a particularly fraught moment. Negotiations over the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have ground to a halt. During the initial phase of the agreement, Hamas released a number of hostages taken during the 7 October 2023 attacks, while Israel freed several Palestinian prisoners in return. The second phase — which was intended to see Hamas lay down its weapons and Israeli forces begin withdrawing from parts of Gaza — has not materialised, with each side accusing the other of breaching the terms of the truce.

Despite the formal ceasefire remaining nominally in place, aerial bombardment and military strikes have continued across Gaza. The territory's Health Ministry has reported that more than 900 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire came into force. The United Nations regards the ministry's figures as credible.

In a separate development, Israel claimed on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed chief of Hamas's armed wing in Gaza. It is the latest in a series of targeted strikes against Hamas's senior leadership, several of whom have been killed since the start of the conflict.

Netanyahu has over recent weeks repeatedly signalled his intention to extend Israel's military footprint in Gaza. As recently as 15 May, he told audiences that his forces had not withdrawn and were consolidating their position. His latest remarks are being interpreted as a clear indication that a broader ground offensive is being planned.