Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not withdraw from the territory it currently holds in the Gaza Strip, insisting that Israeli forces will remain there until Hamas is disarmed and
Gaza is demilitarised.
Netanyahu made the remarks during a visit to an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) post near Gaza’s Yellow Line. In a Hebrew-language video message sent by his office, he said Israel currently controls 60 per cent of the Strip and indicated that further military action would continue.
‘We are staying on this line’
“We control the territory here,” Netanyahu said during the visit, pointing out that Israeli border towns including Ashkelon, Sderot and Netivot, along with several kibbutzim, could be seen “in every direction” from the IDF post.
“We are not withdrawing. We are staying on this line. We control 60% of the Strip. And there is still more to come, because we are eliminating the terrorists who threaten us — we do this day in and day out,” he said.
Netanyahu referred to Israel’s strike targeting a senior Hamas commander on Monday while speaking about the continuing military operations.
The Israeli prime minister has previously said that Israel controls 60 per cent of Gaza and had ordered the military to expand that control to 70 per cent.
That would go well beyond the portion of the Gaza Strip that Israel was permitted to continue holding under an October 2025 ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Withdrawal remains key dispute in talks
The conditions surrounding an Israeli withdrawal, along with continued Israeli strikes, have emerged as major points of disagreement in the US-backed Board of Peace’s talks involving Hamas and Israel.
Hamas has agreed to a framework involving gradual disarmament alongside phased Israeli withdrawals. Netanyahu, however, has maintained that Israeli troops must remain in place until total disarmament of Hamas has been verified.
Netanyahu reiterated that position during his Gaza visit.
“But we are doing everything necessary to achieve our objective — disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza, [and ensuring] Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” he said.
“To a large extent, this objective has in fact already been achieved. There is still work to be completed — and we will complete it,” Netanyahu added.
Netanyahu briefed on IDF operations
Netanyahu was accompanied during the visit by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Southern Command chief Yaniv Asor and commander of the 99th Division Elad Tzuri.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Netanyahu was briefed by commanders on the ground about IDF operations in the area and efforts to eliminate threats while safeguarding Israeli troops and communities.
His chief of staff Ido Norden, National Security Council head Shmuel Ben Ezra and military secretary Guy Markizeno also joined the visit.
The PMO said Netanyahu also held a security assessment with senior officials at the Gaza Division headquarters.
