Netanyahu says he directed Israeli military to take over 70% of Gaza

Source: CNN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he has directed Israel’s military to take over 70% of Gaza’s territory.

During an interview at a conference in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said that Israel is “tightening” its grip on Hamas. “We are now in 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip. We were at 50%. We moved to 60%,” he said. “My directive is to move to — take it step by step — first of all 70. Let’s start with that.” As Netanyahu spoke, the audience called for him to take over all of Gaza’s territory.

In late April, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued maps to international aid groups that showed the military already controlling approximately 64% of Gaza.

The seizure of more of Gaza would force approximately 2 million Palestinians into a shrinking fraction of the coastal enclave’s shattered territory.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/28/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-military-70-percent-gaza-intl