Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israel currently occupies 60 percent of Gaza and signalled plans to expand it further to 70 percent, in defiance of the terms of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in October.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Netanyahu said during a seminar on Thursday: “We currently control 60 percent of Gaza, and my directives are to move toward controlling 70 percent.”
He did not elaborate on how such plans would be implemented.
The Israeli army announced in October last year that it controlled 53 percent of Gaza after redeploying to the so-called “yellow line” under the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
The arrangement envisioned further Israeli withdrawals under the second phase, launched in January.
The so-called “yellow line” refers to a temporary separation zone in eastern Gaza dividing areas under Israeli military occupation from areas where Palestinians are allowed to remain.
