Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Thursday that he had directed the Israeli military to expand its control of the Gaza Strip to 70% of the Palestinian enclave, ratcheting up the pressure on Hamas, the militant group that rules the rest. <\/p>\n
His announcement came as negotiations on Gaza\u2019s future have stalled over Hamas\u2019 refusal to disarm and Israel\u2019s nearly daily strikes in Gaza, both in apparent defiance of the ceasefire agreement struck in October, after two years of war. <\/p>\n
At the time, as provided by the ceasefire, the Israeli military pulled back to an area encompassing roughly 53% of the ravaged enclave. But it has gradually taken more territory in Gaza, sometimes simply by moving concrete blocks with which it marks the boundary. Earlier this month, Netanyahu disclosed that Israel had increased its control to 60% of the territory. <\/p>\n
Hamas retains de facto control of the shrinking western stretch of Gaza, where the vast majority of its roughly 2 million Palestinians are living, including many who have fled or been pushed out of the portion under Israeli control. Many Palestinians displaced throughout the two-year war were warned not to approach the Israeli side. <\/p>\n
Speaking Thursday at a conference sponsored by a pre-military academy and a West Bank local government agency, Netanyahu boasted that Israel had expanded its grip on the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are now in 60% of the territory,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cWe were at 50. We moved to 60.\u201d As members of the audience shouted that Israel should take 100% of the territory, he demurred: \u201cFirst of all, 70,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s start with that.\u201d <\/p>\n
Israeli analysts said that being more aggressive in Gaza could help Netanyahu, who is in an uphill battle for reelection later this year, to deflect Israelis\u2019 attention from grim news elsewhere. Israeli forces in Lebanon have been struggling to stop Hezbollah\u2019s attacks, particularly with drones, and many Israelis expect U.S.-led talks with Iran to result in a bad deal. <\/p>\n
Addressing Netanyahu\u2019s remarks, Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, accused the Israeli leader of doing \u201ceverything to destroy\u201d the ceasefire agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is standing against the will of the international community,\u201d Badran said in a statement. \u201cWith his statement and actions, he is proving that Hamas is not the party obstructing the continued implementation of the ceasefire deal.\u201d <\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Board of Peace, the new international body created by President Donald Trump to oversee the ceasefire and the reconstruction of Gaza, declined to comment. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n
Dan Rothem, a senior analyst for the Israel Policy Forum, a liberal advocacy group, said that Netanyahu\u2019s right-wing political base sees the status quo in Gaza as \u201cmission incomplete or mission failure.\u201d Expanding Israel\u2019s area of control \u2014 or even going back to war in Gaza, if squeezing Hamas provokes it into providing Israel with a pretext \u2014 is preferable, to many of Netanyahu\u2019s supporters, he added. <\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Netanyahu figure that escalation in Gaza will benefit him or hurt him politically?\u201d Rothem said. \u201cThat\u2019s the key question that will drive the next weeks and months in Gaza policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister has left it unclear what holding the territory will mean in the long run. Some elements of his political coalition want Israel to annex all or part of Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n
Palestinian analysts said expanded Israeli control would only further embitter life in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis decision will squeeze and suffocate the people,\u201d said Jaser AbuMousa, a political analyst from Gaza who is now based in Boston. \u201cThere will be more displacement, difficulties, and suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than 900 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect more than seven months ago, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.<\/p>\n
Just this week, Israel carried out several deadly strikes in Gaza population centers in pursuit of Hamas senior leaders. A strike on Tuesday killed a man whom Israel identified as the leader of Hamas\u2019 military wing, after his predecessor had been killed in another strike earlier this month. And on Wednesday, Israel said it had targeted two other officials. <\/p>\n