Netanyahu 70%-Gaza Directive Holds as Iran Pause and Lebanon Fighting Define Tuesday Evening
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive to expand Israeli control of Gaza to 70% of the territory remains in operational effect through Tuesday evening as the bilateral Iran-Israel pause holds while the continued Lebanon fighting defines the regional posture. Since the October 10 ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 906 Palestinians and injured more than 2,747 others, per Al Jazeera’s ceasefire-violation tracker. Gaza’s health ministry says the Israeli campaign has killed at least 72,800 Palestinians since the war began in October 2023. Egyptian mediators continue indirect Hamas-Israel hostage-talks but remain deadlocked.
The 70%-control target represents a significant expansion of Israeli territorial control from the roughly 40-45% Israel was operating in before the directive. Critics — including some inside the Israeli security establishment — say the territorial-control objective is incompatible with the second-phase obligations Israel signed up to. The Tuesday-evening picture — Iran “Operation Nasr” paused, Netanyahu “fire on hold” framing, Israeli army continuing Lebanon offensive, Houthi Red Sea ban holding, Gaza 70% directive in effect, Brent below $97 — is the most operationally complex regional posture since the early-summer phase of the war began.