Hamas accuses Israel of 'blatant violation' of ceasefire as Netanyahu orders military to control 70% of Gaza territory

Hamas on Friday (May 29) accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a ‘blatant violation’ of the October 2025 ceasefire after he ordered the military to expand its territorial control in the Gaza Strip. “In a blatant violation of all agreements, as is their usual practice, Netanyahu announced expanding control over 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, while the killing and starvation continue,” Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told news agency AFP. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem also criticised the ‘complete silence’ of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace and its high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, over Israel’s latest military plans.

Failing to condemn Israel's expansionist policies and forced displacement plans raises serious questions about the extent of the sponsoring parties' commitment to obliging Israel to adhere to its obligations under the ceasefire deal, Qassem said in a separate statement. On Thursday (May 28), Netanyahu announced that the Israeli military would increase its control of Gaza from 60 per cent to 70 per cent. He said the military had already secured 50 per cent of the territory under the ceasefire framework, adding, “My directive is to move to... 70 percent”. “We're squeezing them from all (sides). We'll deal with what's left afterwards.”

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The first phase of the ceasefire, which started in October 2025, resulted in the release of the remaining hostages captured during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli detention. However, progress toward the second phase of the agreement has stalled for months. The next phase was expected to include Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces were required to withdraw behind a ‘yellow line’, marking the division between Hamas-controlled territory and areas held by the Israeli army. Netanyahu had earlier announced on May 15 that Israeli forces were expanding their hold over Gaza. “There were those who said, 'Get out, get out. We did not get out. Today we control... how much? 60 per cent. Tomorrow we shall see,” he said at the time. Despite the truce that took effect on October 10, Gaza continues to witness daily violence, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.

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