The Israeli occupation army continues to expand its field control within the Gaza Strip, with security estimates indicating that Israeli forces now control about 60% of the Strip's area. These moves come amid a clear stalemate in negotiations between Hamas and Israel, and escalating Israeli threats to return to a large-scale military operation to impose a new reality on the ground.
Security sources reported that occupation forces are working to deepen their operational grip along the so-called 'Yellow Line,' which is the security belt separating areas under military control from populated areas. According to Hebrew reports, the percentage of land controlled by the army has increased from 49% to 59% in recent months, reflecting a strategy of gradual encroachment on geographical areas.
The Southern Command of the occupation army is pushing operational plans aimed at resuming full-scale fighting, in an attempt to pressure Hamas and force it to accept new negotiating terms. These plans include attempts to disarm the resistance through direct military action, exploiting the political stalemate that has dominated the general scene for weeks.
On the political front, informed sources confirmed that the contacts led by international envoy Nikolai Mladenov with the leadership of Hamas have reached a dead end. The assassination of the prominent Qassam Brigades leader, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, further complicated the scene, as he was seen as one of the most prominent opponents of making any substantial concessions regarding the resistance's weapons or future security arrangements.
The occupation forces carried out al-Haddad's assassination on May 15th, through an airstrike targeting a location in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. The strike resulted in the martyrdom of al-Haddad and seven other citizens, including women and children, in addition to injuring about fifty people with varying degrees of wounds, which sparked a wave of widespread anger and condemnation in Palestinian circles.
For its part, Hamas renewed its accusations against the occupation of reneging on its fundamental commitments within the ceasefire agreement, stressing the need for mediators to compel Israel to implement the provisions of the first phase. The movement demands the effective opening of crossings and the entry of humanitarian aid and heavy equipment necessary to remove rubble and repair the destroyed infrastructure that is suffering from catastrophic deterioration.
In a related context, the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed shocking statistics of victims of the ongoing aggression, recording the martyrdom of 883 Palestinians since the last ceasefire came into effect in October 2025. The ministry explained that its teams were able to recover hundreds of bodies from under the rubble, while thousands of injured still suffer from a lack of necessary medical care.
The total toll of the genocide war waged by Israel since October 7, 2023, has risen to more than 72,000 martyrs and about 172,000 injured. These figures confirm the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe experienced by the Strip, amid the continued violation of agreements by the occupation and its expansion of military control at the expense of densely populated residential areas.
Political contacts led by the international envoy reached a dead end even before the assassination of al-Haddad, who refused to make concessions regarding disarmament.
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Occupation swallows 60% of Gaza's area amid stalled negotiations and military escalation