Netanyahu 70%-Gaza Directive Holds as Iran Pause and House War Powers Resolution Define Wednesday
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive to expand Israeli control of Gaza to 70% of the territory remains in operational effect through Wednesday morning as the bilateral Iran-Israel pause holds and the US House War Powers Resolution constrains the Trump administration’s Iran-war latitude. 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.
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 Wednesday-morning picture — Iran “Operation Nasr” paused, Netanyahu “fire on hold”, Israeli army continuing Lebanon offensive, Houthi Red Sea ban holding, US House War Powers Resolution constraining further US military action, Gaza 70% directive in effect — is the most diplomatically complex regional posture since the early-summer phase of the war began. Egyptian mediators continue indirect Hamas-Israel hostage-talks but remain deadlocked.