A Wartime Leader Takes a Hard Line
Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that he believes half measures are no longer enough in Gaza. Facing a ceasefire that failed to eliminate Hamas and a terrorist organization that remains armed and active, the Israeli prime minister has directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to expand control over 70 percent of the Gaza Strip. Supporters see the move as a bold but necessary step to secure Israel, defeat Hamas, and ensure that the horrors of October 7 are never repeated.
Speaking at a conference in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu openly described Israel’s strategy as one of relentless pressure.
“We are currently squeezing Hamas,” he said. “We now control 60% of the territory in the strip. You know, we were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to … 70%.” Later, when someone in the audience jokingly shouted “100,” Netanyahu answered cautiously but firmly: “Let’s go step by step. First of all, 70. Let’s start with that. We’re pressing them from all sides, we’ll deal with the remnants.”
For Netanyahu’s supporters, this is not reckless escalation. It is determined leadership in a war Israel did not choose but believes it must finish.
Why Netanyahu Believes More Control Is Necessary
The October 2025 ceasefire brokered by the United States was intended to calm the conflict and create a framework for longer-term peace. Under that arrangement, Israeli forces withdrew to a demarcation known as the “yellow line,” leaving Israel with control of roughly 53 percent of Gaza while Hamas retained de facto control over the remainder. The agreement envisioned future negotiations that would ultimately lead to Hamas disarmament and further peace efforts.
But from Israel’s perspective, one major problem remained: Hamas never disarmed.
Despite the ceasefire, Hamas continued to operate inside Gaza, indirect negotiations stalled, and Israeli officials increasingly concluded that the truce had not solved the central security problem. Israel continued conducting strikes against Hamas targets, including battalion commanders, military operatives, and financial networks tied to the organization’s operations.
For supporters of Netanyahu’s strategy, this changes everything. A ceasefire only works if both sides move toward peace. If Hamas remains armed, organized, and committed to fighting, then Israeli leaders argue they cannot simply freeze the battlefield and hope the threat disappears.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz summarized Israel’s position plainly: “We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre.” He added: “We pledged that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily.”
To many Israelis and Netanyahu supporters, this is not optional policy. It is national survival.
The Strategy Behind Expanding to 70 Percent
The logic behind taking more of Gaza is straightforward. Netanyahu and Israeli officials believe that squeezing Hamas into smaller areas weakens its ability to organize, recruit, hide weapons, move fighters, and stage attacks.
By controlling more land, the IDF can create deeper security buffers, reduce Hamas operating space, and separate militants from civilian populations. Netanyahu’s repeated use of the phrase “squeezing Hamas” suggests a strategy designed to slowly tighten military pressure until Hamas loses the ability to function effectively.
Israeli analyst Gershon Baskin described what he sees as a possible next phase of thinking. He said American planners may envision reconstruction occurring inside Israeli-controlled areas, with Palestinians moving into zones where individuals are vetted for ties to Hamas or other armed groups.
As Baskin put it: “At the end of the day, the only people remaining in the yellow zone, according to the Americans, are Hamas and other armed groups. And then Israel will be free to deal with them as they want.”
Supporters argue this kind of separation could eventually make both reconstruction and security possible.
Progress Toward the Goal
Israel appears to be steadily moving toward Netanyahu’s objective.
Netanyahu himself acknowledged that Israeli control has expanded from roughly 50 percent to more than 60 percent of Gaza in recent months. Reports describe Israeli tanks advancing near Jabalia in northern Gaza and east of Khan Younis in the south. Israeli-backed anti-Hamas militias have also reportedly helped pressure Hamas and push residents away from contested areas near ceasefire lines.
Meanwhile, Israeli military operations have continued targeting Hamas leadership and military infrastructure.
According to reports, strikes recently killed senior Hamas figures connected to battlefield operations, weapons manufacturing, and financial networks supporting the organization. Supporters argue these actions show exactly why military pressure cannot stop yet: Hamas remains active and dangerous.
Hamas Objects
Not everyone agrees with Netanyahu’s approach.
Hamas officials condemned the move as illegitimate and accused Israel of violating the October ceasefire. Hamas official Ismail al-Thawabta called it “a dangerous escalation,” while spokesman Bassem Naim described it as “a blatant violation of all agreements.” Hamas has maintained that it is willing to discuss disarmament only if Israel fully returns to ceasefire obligations, including withdrawing to the original yellow line.
Humanitarian organizations, including UNICEF, warn that shrinking Gaza’s usable territory further could worsen already severe conditions for civilians, particularly children, who face overcrowding, illness, sanitation problems, and damaged infrastructure. Germany and Britain also expressed concern about expanding Israeli control and the risk of worsening humanitarian suffering.
Yet Netanyahu’s supporters argue these objections miss the larger point. In their view, Israel cannot afford to allow Hamas to survive as a governing or military force. They believe that a temporary ceasefire that leaves Hamas intact only delays future bloodshed.
To them, Netanyahu’s decision reflects political courage and strategic realism. Rather than accepting a frozen conflict, he is pushing forward with a hard strategy designed to permanently break Hamas’s hold on Gaza and restore long-term security for Israel. Whether controversial or not, Netanyahu has made clear that he sees military pressure, territorial control, and persistence as the path to victory.
