Israel Breaches Ceasefire Terms In Gaza Once Again
This declared expansion of Israeli control directly contradicts the terms of the ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump between Israel and Hamas in October 2025. Under that agreement, the IDF was to withdraw to a designated "yellow line," establishing 53% control. Netanyahu's recent public remarks have confirmed IDF control exceeding 60%.
Ongoing Violence and Stalled Negotiations
The Prime Minister's announcement coincides with continued Israeli strikes on Gaza despite the ceasefire. According to the Gaza health ministry, whose figures the UN deems reliable, at least 738 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect in October. Indirect, US-brokered talks aimed at advancing Trump's peace plan, which includes Hamas disarming and Israeli troop withdrawal, have stalled.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz recently reiterated his country's commitment to eliminating those responsible for the 7 October 2023 attack and preventing Hamas from governing Gaza. Katz also referenced a "plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza," a concept that far-right Israeli ministers, including Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have previously advocated, potentially amounting to forced displacement – a war crime – and resettlement with Jewish populations.
Civilian Casualties Mount in Gaza
The past week has seen several fatal strikes in Gaza. An Israeli attack on a Gaza City building on Wednesday reportedly killed at least 10 people, including five children. The Israeli military claimed to have targeted "two central Hamas terrorists," later identified as Hamas battalion commander Imad Asleem and his teenage daughter Israa.
The previous day, Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of the Hamas military wing, was killed along with his wife and two sons in an Israeli strike. Another strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday reportedly killed Ihab Khrizim, head of a Hamas funds transfer network, and Mohammed al-Habash, a unit commander involved in weapons manufacturing.
The 2023 Hamas-led attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages taken. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has devastated the territory, displacing many of its 2.1 million residents. As of 12 May 2026, 72,742 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with 172,565 injured, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. At least 21,283 of the deceased were children.
