Netanyahu orders Israeli army to seize ‘70% of Gaza Strip’, violating ceasefire deal

Speaking in West Bank settlement, Israeli PM, who is fighting for political survival before elections, says ‘we are squeezing Hamas’

A Palestinian boy sits at the site of an overnight Israeli military strike on structures and tents housing displaced families, killing ten Palestinians, in Gaza City on May 28, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images)

Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has given orders to the Israeli army to seize control of 70% of the Gaza Strip in a move that threatens to torpedo an already fragile ceasefire and create catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the already devastated territory.

Under the US-brokered ceasefire in October, the Israeli army withdrew to a demarcation line which gave Israel direct control of 53% of the occupied territory. Since then, Israeli forces have steadily advanced their positions westward into the Hamas-controlled half of the strip, and declared an ever-expanding no man’s land west of that, within which they claim the right to decide who can enter and open fire on anyone perceived as a threat.