Netanyahu confirms 60% control

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 17 that Israeli forces now control about 60% of the Gaza Strip, a public acknowledgment that Israel has expanded beyond the line set under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel controlled “not 50%, but 60%” of the enclave. The original truce framework had left Israeli forces in control of about 53% of Gaza, according to Israeli and U.K. parliamentary descriptions of the arrangement. The statement matters because it puts a number on a territorial shift that had previously been visible mainly through military maps and aid coordination notices. The Times of Israel reported that maps circulated in March showed a new restricted area beyond the so-called Yellow Line, marked with an orange line and estimated at about 11% of Gaza’s territory. Netanyahu paired the disclosure with a cabinet statement that Israel was “tightening” its grip on Hamas. (timesofisrael.com) Israeli strikes continued on May 17 and May 18 even as the ceasefire framework remained formally in place. Reuters, published by India Today, reported that at least eight Palestinians were killed on Sunday in strikes that the Israeli military said targeted Hamas militants and commanders in Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City. The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza, and later said it had also killed Hamas operations commander Bahaa Baroud. (timesofisrael.com) ### Where did the 60% figure come from? Netanyahu gave the figure at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on May 17. His wording — “In Gaza now, we already control not 50%, but 60%” — matched earlier reports that Israeli troops had moved beyond the Yellow Line established under the ceasefire. The Yellow Line was the withdrawal line in stage one of the October 2025 framework. (indiatoday.in) A House of Commons Library briefing published in February said stage one required an immediate end to fighting, hostage releases, increased humanitarian aid and an Israeli withdrawal to that line. The same briefing said Israeli forces still controlled “just over half” of Gaza and that Hamas retained its weapons in the Strip. (timesofisrael.com) ### What changed after the October 2025 ceasefire? March maps sent by the Israeli military to aid groups showed an added restricted zone beyond the original line, according to the Times of Israel. The report said the area between the yellow and orange lines was designated for aid-delivery coordination, with aid groups required to coordinate movement with the military. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) That change increased concern among displaced Palestinians living in or near the expanded zone. The Times of Israel said the move also raised questions about whether Israel intended to keep hold of the area permanently, though the military said civilians were not affected by the coordination zone. ### Has Hamas been disarmed under the truce? (timesofisrael.com) The U.K. parliamentary briefing said Hamas retained its weapons in Gaza as of February 2026. That same document said there had been continued reports of violence and ceasefire violations in Gaza into 2026. Netanyahu did not say on May 17 that Hamas had already been dismantled as a governing or military force. (timesofisrael.com) Instead, he said Israel’s mission was to ensure Gaza would no longer pose a threat to Israel and said Israeli forces were getting close to eliminating those behind the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and kidnappings. ### Why are strikes continuing if a ceasefire is still in effect? (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) Israeli operations have continued alongside stalled indirect talks over a postwar arrangement. Reuters reported that Israel and Hamas remained deadlocked over a U.S. plan that would end the war with Hamas disarming as Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. (timesofisrael.com) The same Reuters report said about 870 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes since the October ceasefire, citing figures that did not distinguish between combatants and civilians. On the diplomatic side, BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi on May 15 called for a ceasefire in Gaza, unhindered humanitarian access and support for Palestinian statehood. (indiatoday.in) ### What comes next? Indirect talks are still the next formal track to watch. Reuters reported on May 18 that negotiations over a postwar plan remained deadlocked, while outside governments continued to press for a ceasefire and aid access. Aid access is another concrete benchmark. U.N. and parliamentary reporting has said restrictions on goods and humanitarian operations remain a central issue, with governments including the U.K. urging broader access through Gaza crossings and fewer limits on supplies. (indiatoday.in) (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)