Netanyahu Orders Israeli Forces to Expand Gaza Control to 70 Percent
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed Israeli defence forces to extend their territorial control over Gaza to 70 percent of the enclave, in what represents a significant escalation of the ongoing military campaign. The order signals a deliberate expansion of Israeli ground operations beyond current positions and raises urgent questions about humanitarian access, civilian displacement, and the prospects for a ceasefire.
The directive comes amid intense international pressure on Israel to limit its military footprint in Gaza and allow unimpeded aid delivery. Rights organisations and UN agencies have repeatedly warned that expanded military control will further restrict already critically depleted humanitarian corridors, deepening the crisis facing Gaza's civilian population.
Netanyahu's move is likely to intensify diplomatic friction with Western allies, several of whom have conditioned continued military support on adherence to international humanitarian law. The European Union and a number of Arab states have in recent weeks called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the resumption of ceasefire negotiations under Qatari and Egyptian mediation.
The expansion order also comes as Israel faces growing isolation on the international stage, including a separate dispute with the United Nations over a sexual violence monitoring blacklist. Analysts warn that the combination of expanded ground operations and deteriorating multilateral relations marks one of the most consequential junctures in the conflict since it began.
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