Netanyahu orders Israeli military to seize 70% of Gaza

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has ordered the military to take control of 70 percent of Gaza, sharply expanding its hold on the Palestinian territory. Israel already controls an estimated 64 percent of the coastal strip, which has been heavily bombed during a two-year military campaign. The campaign followed the October 2023 attack on southern Israel by Hamas. The new directive seeks to seize additional land, pushing the population — already confined to a narrow strip along the coast — into an even smaller area. The order comes under a U.S.-brokered truce that took effect in October and has so far...