Netanyahu Orders Expansion of Gaza Offensive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the country’s military to expand its control over the Gaza Strip, saying Israeli forces should move toward occupying up to 70 percent of the Palestinian territory as the war with Hamas intensifies.

Netanyahu made the remarks on Thursday while addressing a conference in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, where he outlined what he described as Israel’s evolving military strategy in Gaza. According to him, Israeli forces had already expanded their operational footprint significantly since the conflict began and were now under instructions to push further into areas still under Hamas influence.

“We were at fifty percent, moved to sixty, and my directive is to move to seventy,” Netanyahu said during the address, adding that Israel was “pressing Hamas from all sides” and would continue military operations until the militant group’s remaining structures were dismantled.

The comments come amid growing international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where millions of Palestinians have been displaced since the war erupted following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. According to reports gathered by RMNews360, the conflict has devastated large parts of the enclave, with civilians increasingly concentrated into shrinking coastal areas under severe humanitarian strain.

Israel Expands Buffer Zones

Netanyahu defended the military expansion by describing territories seized by Israel in Gaza, southern Lebanon and parts of Syria as strategic “buffer zones” intended to prevent future militant attacks against Israeli communities.

Israeli officials have repeatedly argued that maintaining security corridors inside Gaza is necessary to stop Hamas and other armed groups from regrouping after the war. However, Palestinians and several international observers have accused Israel of using security justifications to permanently alter the territory’s geography and force mass displacement of civilians.

According to analysts cited in recent regional assessments, Israeli forces have steadily widened restricted military zones beyond the boundaries originally outlined under earlier ceasefire understandings. Under a U.S.-brokered truce arrangement reached in October, Israeli troops were expected to withdraw to a demarcated “Yellow Line,” leaving Hamas in control of parts of Gaza while Israel retained security oversight of approximately 53 percent of the territory.

However, military maps released by Israel earlier this year reportedly showed expanded restricted zones that now cover around 64 percent of Gaza. Reports gathered by RMNews360 indicate that Israeli forces have also moved concrete boundary markers deeper into previously Hamas-controlled areas in recent months.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and other senior government officials have also faced criticism over comments encouraging what they described as “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from Gaza, remarks that have fuelled fears among Palestinians of long-term displacement.

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International Concerns Mount

The latest announcement from Netanyahu is expected to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel as humanitarian agencies continue warning about worsening conditions inside Gaza. Aid groups have repeatedly raised concerns over overcrowding, shortages of food and medicine, and the impact of ongoing bombardments on civilians trapped in restricted areas.

International mediators, including the United States, Egypt and Qatar, have continued efforts to revive ceasefire negotiations and secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas. However, talks have stalled repeatedly amid disagreements over troop withdrawals, governance of Gaza after the war, and demands for Hamas’ disarmament.

The conflict began after Hamas launched a surprise cross-border attack on Israel in October 2023, killing hundreds and taking hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive that has continued for more than two years.

Netanyahu has remained under domestic and international pressure over the handling of the war, with critics accusing his government of prolonging the conflict without a clear post-war political solution for Gaza.