Netanyahu Orders Expansion Of Gaza Occupation In Contradiction To Trump-Backed Ceasefire Agreement

Gaza

The 2025 Trump-backed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas allows the Jewish State to control no more than 53% of the Palestinian enclave. Now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to occupy 70% of the region.

”We now control 60% of the territory in the Strip. You know, we were at 50, we moved to 60,” Netanyahu told the Jordan Valley Conference in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. “My directive is to move to… first of all 70%. Let’s start with that.”

The leader did not specify whether Israel intends to eventually occupy all of Gaza, but his wording hinted at a future expansion beyond the current goal of 70%.

The current expansion is at odds with the agreement President Donald Trump had helped to achieve in order to stop Israel’s war in Gaza.

Hamas accused Israel of attempting to impose military control over Gaza earlier in the week. The militant group warned the move undermines the prospect of de-escalation.

“Any attempt to impose a new reality of occupation in Gaza is null and illegitimate,” Ismail al-Thawabta, ​head of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said, adding that Netanyahu’s statement “represents a dangerous escalation.”

Reuters chronicled the international reaction to Israel’s expansion plans:

A spokesperson for the Board of ‌Peace said ⁠it would not have a comment on Netanyahu’s statement.

A British foreign ministry spokesperson said any further expansion of Israeli control in Gaza would be unacceptable and risk exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.

Fellow permanent U.N. Security Council member France did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A German foreign ministry spokesperson said Germany was concerned about Israeli plans to take more of Gaza and opposed a permanent division of the Palestinian territory.

Hamas is reportedly not surrendering.

“The group has refused to disarm or surrender its weapons, according to Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, who is overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement,” RT reported.

President Trump’s Board of Peace met with representatives of Hamas in March, but that peace initiative has mostly stalled out during the course of the Iran war.

“The weekend meeting is the first publicly reported since ‌the start of the Iran war between the Palestinian militant group and the board, a new international body personally headed by Trump, which has been tasked with overseeing post-war Gaza,” Reuters said March 16. “Following the meeting, Israel announced on Sunday that it would soon reopen the sole crossing for pedestrians between Gaza and Egypt, shut since the Iran bombing campaign began. One of the sources said ​he believed the Israeli announcement was a direct result of the meeting between Hamas and the board.”

As Israel expands their Gaza occupation in contradiction to Trump’s ceasefire agreement, they also expand their ground operations in Lebanon which contradicts Trump’s effort end the Iran war.


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