Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the military to control at least 70% of Gaza, further deviating from the ceasefire agreement reached last year under U.S. mediation with Hamas. He stated that the Israeli military currently controls 60% of the Gaza Strip and is "pressuring Hamas," with the next goal being to advance to 70%. Under the fragile ceasefire agreement that took effect last year, Israeli forces were originally supposed to withdraw to the so-called "yellow line" in Gaza, controlling about 53% of the territory, followed by a phased withdrawal from most of Gaza and efforts to disarm Hamas. However, related negotiations have stalled, while Israel has instead continued expanding its control over Gaza. The expanding Israeli military presence has forced approximately 2 million people in Gaza into increasingly shrinking areas; most have been displaced multiple times and continue to face catastrophic humanitarian conditions. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that since the ceasefire took effect last October, repeated Israeli strikes have killed more than 900 people. Israel, meanwhile, claims that four Israeli soldiers were killed by armed individuals during the same period. Israeli officials insist that a "buffer zone" must be maintained inside Gaza to prevent security threats similar to Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. Yet some members of Netanyahu’s government have openly advocated for emptying Gaza of Palestinian residents, with Defense Minister Katz stating that a controversial Gaza "voluntary migration program" will be restarted.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866500295278602/
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