Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave orders to the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday to seize more territory in Gaza, despite a U.S.-brokered peace deal that restricts the area under its control to just over half. File photo by Ilia Yefimovich/UPI | License Photo
May 29 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to expand the proportion of Gaza territory it occupies to 70% as part of a "squeeze" on Hamas aimed at forcing its hand in negotiations to progress a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
Netanyahu told reporters Thursday that Israeli forces had been gradually increasing the amount of territory they held from 50% to 60%, at present, but he had now directed them to seize a further 10%.
"We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60% of the territory of the Strip -- you know this. We were at 50, we moved to 60... 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," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan, signed by Israel and Hamas in October, commits Israel to a three-phase pullout, with Israeli forces initially withdrawing to a so-called "yellow line" leaving Israel in control of about 53% of Gaza.
