UN says all of Gaza must be for Palestinians after Netanyahu occupation order

UN demands Israeli withdrawal

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday rebuked Israel's plans to expand its military footprint across the Gaza Strip, insisting that the entire Palestinian territory must remain for Palestinians after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his forces to occupy 70% of the enclave. "One hundred percent of Gaza should be for the Palestinian people," Dujarric told reporters at the UN's New York headquarters, adding that the global body has consistently called on Tel Aviv to pull back from its occupation beyond the so-called yellow line. The spokesperson emphasized that this position would remain unchanged regardless of Israeli expansionist maneuvers in the Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu announces expansion plans

Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Israeli forces currently control 60% of the Gaza Strip and signaled intentions to expand that figure to 70%, though he provided no details regarding implementation timelines or methods. The Israeli military stated in October that it controlled 53% of the territory after redeploying to the yellow line — a temporary separation zone in eastern Gaza — under the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war. That arrangement envisioned further withdrawals during a second phase launched in January, but Palestinian sources indicate the boundary has instead moved steadily westward in recent months.

Hamas warns of territorial shift

Bassem Naim, a senior official with Hamas, told Anadolu that Israel has shifted the line an additional 8% to 9% into Gaza's territory, bringing the total area under occupation to more than 60%. The yellow line divides areas under Israeli military control from zones where Palestinians are permitted to remain, and was established as part of ceasefire negotiations seeking to gradually reduce Israel's presence in the coastal enclave. The territorial expansion threatens to further complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting truce between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups.