Gaza Herald_Benjamin Netanyahu signaled plans to deepen Israel’s military control over Gaza after announcing Thursday that Israeli forces currently control around 60 percent of the besieged enclave, adding that he has instructed the military to expand that control to 70 percent.
The remarks reflect what many Palestinians and human rights observers describe as an escalating effort to impose a new military and geographic reality across Gaza through territorial fragmentation, forced displacement, and long-term control over large sections of the Strip.
Expanding Military Control Across Gaza
Netanyahu’s comments come as Israel continues its military assault on Gaza while steadily expanding areas under direct Israeli control and tightening restrictions on Palestinian movement throughout the territory.
Over recent months, Israeli forces have intensified the creation of buffer zones and military separation corridors inside Gaza, including areas known as the “Yellow Line” and the “Orange Line.”
What were initially presented as temporary military measures have increasingly evolved into de facto boundaries that severely restrict civilian movement and prevent many displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes, particularly in northern and eastern Gaza.
Human rights organizations and UN agencies have warned that these policies have effectively reduced the livable area available to Palestinians in Gaza to less than half of the territory’s original size.
Growing Humanitarian Crisis
The shrinking space available to civilians has forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into overcrowded displacement camps and temporary shelters lacking basic necessities, including clean water, electricity, medical care, and sanitation.
The humanitarian situation continues worsening as Israeli bombardments, ground operations, and restrictions on reconstruction efforts prevent meaningful recovery across the enclave.
Critics say the gradual expansion of Israeli-controlled areas risks turning temporary military zones into permanent facts on the ground that could reshape Gaza’s geography and demographics for years to come.
Continued Attacks Across the Strip
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks continued across Gaza on Thursday.
A Palestinian wounded in an earlier Israeli strike on central Gaza died from his injuries, while several others were reportedly shot by Israeli forces in the Al-Salatin area west of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
The death toll from Israeli bombardments targeting Gaza City on Wednesday also rose to ten after additional victims were recovered from beneath the rubble.
Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling continue to target multiple areas throughout Gaza amid mounting civilian casualties and widespread destruction.
At the same time, ceasefire and reconstruction efforts remain stalled as Palestinians face growing fears that Israel’s expanding military presence could pave the way for a prolonged occupation and permanent territorial changes inside Gaza.
