The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intends to establish control over 75% of the territory of the Gaza Strip within two months. The population of the Palestinian enclave should be relocated to the remaining piece of land. By now, the Jewish State has deployed all the regular infantry and armored brigades in the IDF in the conflict zone. The intensification of hostilities is taking place contrary to the position of the administration of US President Donald Trump, which seems to be seeking from the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to freeze the operation.
A number of Western and Israeli publications have reported that the IDF expects to establish total control over 75% of the Gaza Strip in the next two months. According to The Times of Israel portal, the civilian population of the enclave (almost 2 million people) will be concentrated in the remaining zone. It, in turn, will be divided into three sectors.
The expansion of the Israeli operation is aimed at the complete cleansing of the controlled territory from the military infrastructure of the radical Hamas movement, the demolition of destroyed buildings and the retention of positions for an indefinite period.
By now, the Jewish State has deployed all the regular infantry and armored brigades available to the IDF in the Gaza Strip. According to The Times of Israel, units of the Givati, Golani, Kfir, Nahal brigades, paratroopers, special forces, troops of the 7th, 188th and 401st armored brigades, as well as “a number of reservists” are located in the enclave. Their arrival is part of preparations for further intensification of hostilities in the sector, officials say.
On Monday, May 26, a new aid distribution mechanism began operating in Gaza. The Humanitarian Aid Fund for Gaza (GHF), formed with the support of Israel and the United States, will now distribute food and other essential goods in humanitarian zones. American contractors will work at special cargo distribution points.
The new rules suggest that a representative of each Palestinian family will have to come to one of the complexes himself to pick up an aid package. This will happen every five days.
“The model developed in coordination with international partners is based on a clear division of responsibility: the IDF provides security in the issuing areas, an American company takes over transportation and logistics, and international humanitarian organizations working in Gaza directly transfer aid to the population of the sector,” Netanyahu’s office said about the principle of the new mechanism. “This process is another proof: even in the face of hostilities, Israel is doing its best to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need, despite the cynicism and sabotage of Hamas.”
However, the UN and some international humanitarian organizations have already refused to participate in this plan, appealing to the fact that it carries a great danger: going to seek help, the Palestinians will inevitably pass through a war zone. GHF Executive Director Jake Wood has already announced his resignation. He explained that under the new aid distribution mechanism, the organization cannot adhere to “the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.”
According to the Axios portal, Israel’s new operation, involving the occupation of 75% of the territory of Gaza, is aimed at creating the foundation for launching “voluntary” migration from Gaza. It is assumed that civilians will first move to a humanitarian zone, and then they will be forced to travel to third countries.
Donald Trump himself, speaking to reporters, openly made it clear that he wanted to end the conflict. “We want to see if we can stop this,” the American leader said, commenting on the situation in Gaza. These weeks, the White House has not publicly confirmed that the United States and Israel have a dispute over Gaza.
However, the sources of the i24 channel claim that the Trump administration behind the scenes asked Israel to postpone the intensification of hostilities against Hamas in order to restore the negotiation process with the Palestinian group on the Qatari site. At the same time, Haaretz’s interlocutors claim that the Netanyahu government is under serious pressure from the United States, which demands an early end to the war. According to these data, this is exactly the signal that was transmitted by the US President’s special envoy for the Middle East, Stephen Witkoff, to Israeli diplomats not so long ago.
Israel claims that it currently controls Gaza by only 40%, however, according to the press service of the authorities of the coastal enclave, the situation is different. “The Israeli occupation army has effectively established control over 77% of the total area of the Gaza Strip, either through direct ground incursions and the deployment of occupying forces in residential and civilian areas, or through intensive fire control that prevents Palestinians from reaching their homes, land and property, or through an unfair policy of forced eviction that forces tens of thousands of civilians. Residents have repeatedly fled under the threat of shelling, killing and extermination,” the Gaza authorities said.
A statement from the enclave’s administration stresses that “a form of coercive control based on the use of force” is a “gross violation of international humanitarian law.” She laid “full legal responsibility” for the losses and destruction in the enclave not only on Israel, but also on Western countries.