Netanyahu announces occupation army's control over 60% of Gaza Strip area

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that the occupation army has expanded the areas it controls within the Gaza Strip, reaching approximately 60% of the total area of the Strip. These statements came during an official ceremony marking the anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem, emphasizing that field movements have exceeded the boundaries drawn by previous agreements.

This announced percentage constitutes a clear violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement reached through American mediation in October 2025, which set the Israeli control area at approximately 53%. Press reports indicated that the occupation deliberately moved what is known as the 'Yellow Line' towards the populated western areas, reducing the living spaces available to Palestinians.

Local sources confirmed that on May 10th, occupation mechanisms moved the separating concrete blocks westward along Salah al-Din Street in the Netzarim axis area. This step is part of the gradual encroachment strategy followed by the army to impose a new field reality that goes beyond recently concluded international understandings.

For her part, Lori Buffard, a GIS expert at Doctors Without Borders, explained that field assessments indicate a continuous escalation in land grabbing. Buffard stated that Israeli control is no longer limited to border areas but has extended to include new buffer zones that impose strict restrictions on the movement of humanitarian organizations.

The international expert pointed to the monitoring of new yellow blocks and boundary markers in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City over the past few weeks, confirming the continued expansion. These field changes force international institutions to coordinate in advance with the occupation army to enter areas previously classified as purely Palestinian lands.

In the same context, Hamas leader Basem Naim stated that the occupation has shifted the dividing line by an additional area ranging from 8 to 9% of the total area of the Strip. Naim added that this behavior reflects the Israeli government's reneging on its commitments and aims to transform the Strip into isolated pockets under full military control.

The plan of former US President Donald Trump, announced in September 2025, stipulated in its first phase a partial withdrawal of the occupation and a cessation of military operations. While the Palestinian resistance adhered to the requirements of this phase, the Israeli side continued its aggressions and field expansion deep into areas classified as 'safe'.

The second phase of the international plan includes a broader withdrawal of the occupation army and the start of reconstruction operations, which the Netanyahu government currently rejects. Israel insists on imposing new conditions related to disarming factions before implementing any withdrawal, putting the entire agreement on the verge of collapse.

The new areas encroached upon by the army are called the 'Orange Line,' which are areas that overlap with the geographical depth of the Gaza Strip and separate its main cities. Observers believe that this division aims to secure permanent military corridors that cut off the Strip and prevent geographical communication between its north and south.

It is worth noting that the Gaza Strip has been subjected to a genocidal war launched by Israel since October 2023, which lasted for two continuous years of systematic bombing and destruction. This war resulted in the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 172,000 others, the vast majority of whom were women and children.

Regarding infrastructure, military operations destroyed about 90% of vital facilities and residential buildings in the Strip, making it an uninhabitable area in large parts of it. The United Nations estimates the cost of rebuilding what the occupation destroyed at approximately $70 billion, amid a suffocating siege that prevents the entry of essential building materials.

Amidst the Israeli army's silence on commenting on international reports, field sources continue to document ongoing violations along the dividing lines. The situation in Gaza remains hostage to Israeli military movements that disregard all international conventions and covenants signed under American auspices.

The army currently controls 60% of the Gaza Strip, an area larger than what was stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.