Israel intends to control 75% of Gaza within two months, says Military says

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. DOV LIEBER, The Wall Street Journal 3 min read May 26, 2025, 08:18 AM IST Gaza: Israel plans to seize 75% of the area, push civilians to 25% and start a new US support program. (Beeld: AFP) Summary The military also intends to distribute a new program supported by the US in Gaza as early as Monday. The Israeli army said on Sunday that it intended to capture 75% of the Gaza Strip within two months and push Palestinian civilians in just a quarter of the strip’s area as part of a new attempt to get rid of Gaza of Hamas. The military also intends to distribute a new program supported by the US in Gaza as early as Monday. It built three complexes in southern Gaza and one in Central Gaza where hundreds of American contractors will distribute help to Palestinians, according to an Israeli official. The new help will require a representative of each Palestinian family to come to one of the complexes to pick up an aid package every five days. The United Nations and auxiliary groups, which refused to participate in the plan, say it is too dangerous because it requires Palestinians to travel through a food zone for food and violate their principles of neutrality because Israel would control the help. The new tool comes after Israel began entering small amounts of help in Gaza after a more than two months blockade of all goods, which led to severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine. The announcement comes because Israel makes a tactical shift in how it fights in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the new offensive would include the conquest of Gaza and hold the area. The purpose, according to Israel, is to push Hamas to release the remaining hostages, disarm and that his remaining leadership must leave the area. When it first launched a land invasion weeks after the attack on October 7, 2023, the army attacked the army areas, with the aim of killing Hamas militants. But there was no substitute for Hamas put in place, which is why the US -designated terror group quickly made control again. The new land push also comes amid the increasing international pressure on Israel to pack the war, as well as domestic pressure to bring about an agreement that would cause the remaining hostages to return in Gaza. Israel’s reservists are tired and thin, and more Israelis are turning against the war. In recent weeks, Israel has pitched thousands of soldiers in Gaza. It has been in charge of about 40% of Gaza area since the renewal of hostilities in March after a temporary ceasefire collapsed, the military said. Israel sustained the pressure on Hamas with attacks on its military and political leadership as well as infrastructure. Israel killed Hamas leader in Gaza Mohammed Sinwar, brother of the October 7 Mastermind, Yahya Sinwar, at a meeting of Top Militants in an air strike earlier this month, reports the Wall Street Journal. If Israel seizes a new area, it will also decrease everything that it considers as infrastructure used by Hamas, the military said. This policy will cause more destruction in the enclave, which has already seen that large parts have been demolished, leaving many of the houses that have been damaged or destroyed. Israel has so far destroyed about 25% of the hundreds of miles of tunnels that Hamas dug under Gaza, an Israeli military official said. It is not clear when or how Palestinian civilians would be allowed to return to areas taken by Israel’s army. Israel hopes that over time it can create areas in Gaza, it is certainly free from Hamas -Ooperative and infrastructure. The war’s toll on Palestinian civilians was serious, with many forced to move several times to escape the Israeli air strikes. According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 53,000 Palestinians were killed in the war, which does not say how many fighters are. Israel’s army believes that Hamas prevents the spread of help from being fundamental to disrupting it from the civilian population and ending its reign in Gaza. Israeli officials say the new aid program is designed to prevent Hamas from being able to get help from trucks or warehouses and use it to feed its ranks or sell it to civilians to finance its activities. Help groups say Israel overestimates the problem with Hamas Commissioning Aid, and says the safest way to get help to civilians is through the existing infrastructure. Write to DOV LIEBER at DOV.LIEBER@WSJ.com, catch all the business news, market news, news reports and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #Israel-Hamas War Read Next Story