Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday gave directives to the military to take control of 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip which is in contrast to the terms of the ceasefire brokered between Israel and Hamas in October last year.
In a video statement delivered by the Israeli prime minister in Hebrew-language at a conference held by the Ein Prat Leadership Academy in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, he said, “We are currently squeezing Hamas. We now control 60 per cent of the territory in the strip. You know, we were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to…70 per cent,” Israel’s Channel 12 network reported.
Staged territorial objectives
A person in the conference shouted that Israel should take “100 per cent” of the territory in Gaza, to which Netanyahu responded saying “we’re going in order. First 70 percent, we’ll start with that,” Times of Israel reported.
The Israeli prime minister had last week said Tel Aviv already controls 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s territory.
Stalled diplomatic phases
The first phase of US-brokered ceasefire saw the last hostages return in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
However, the second phase of ceasefire, which was supposed to involve militant group Hamas’ disarmament and a withdrawal of Israeli army, remains stuck for months.
Story continues below this ad
Violations of established boundaries
As per the terms of the ceasefire, the Israeli military was supposed to retreat behind a so-called “yellow line”.
