UN slams Israel over plan to occupy 70% of Gaza

The United Nations has sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's directive for the military to seize control of 70% of the Gaza Strip. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric emphasized that "100 percent of Gaza should be for the Palestinian people" and called on Israel to withdraw from its occupation.

Netanyahu announced Thursday that Israel currently controls 60% of Gaza and plans to expand this further. He did not provide specific details on the implementation of these plans. The Israeli army had previously stated it controlled 53% of Gaza following redeployments under a U.S.-backed plan.

However, Palestinian sources indicate a different reality on the ground. A senior Hamas official told Anadolu Agency that Israel has already expanded its control by an additional 8% to 9% into Gaza's territory, pushing the boundary westward and increasing the area under Israeli control to over 60%.

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One hundred percent of Gaza should be for the Palestinian people. That's what we want to see, and we've been calling on Israel to pull back from its occupation from the so-called yellow line, and that will continue to be our position.