Israeli Prime Minister Says Forces Control 60 Percent of Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli forces now control 60 percent of Gaza and ordered them to reach 70 percent. He made the remarks at a public conference while describing ongoing operations against Hamas. The statement follows an October 2025 agreement under which Israeli forces were to withdraw behind a line called the Yellow Line and later leave the territory entirely.

That withdrawal has not occurred.

Satellite data from March showed Israeli forces had established at least 32 military outposts and built infrastructure along the line. Israeli forces have also expanded the area under their control by about 11 percent since the ceasefire took effect. During the same period, Israeli forces conducted near-daily strikes that killed at least 922 people inside Gaza, according to Al Jazeera reporting.

Humanitarian agencies including Oxfam have accused Israel of restricting deliveries of aid and essential goods into Gaza since October 2025. Several other Israeli ministers have used the same term.

Becker, a professor of international human rights law at Trinity College in Dublin, told Al Jazeera that permanent control over the territory would constitute unlawful annexation under international law. He cited a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice.

Becker also said permanent removal of Palestinians from Gaza would amount to forced displacement and would violate the right to self-determination. Al Jazeera contacted the Israeli prime minister's office and the U.S. State Department for comment but received no responses by publication time.