Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel now controls approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip, signaling an expansion of territory held by the IDF during the ongoing ceasefire.

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “In Gaza now, we already control not 50%, but 60%.”

At the start of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect last October, the IDF controlled roughly 53% of Gaza, while Hamas retained control over the remaining territory, where most of the enclave’s population resides. The military established what became known as the “Yellow Line,” marking the areas under Israeli military control.

According to reports, maps quietly distributed by Israel in March showed an additional restricted zone extending beyond the original Yellow Line. The expanded area reportedly covers another 11% of Gaza’s territory, bringing the total restricted area to nearly two-thirds of the Strip.

The military reportedly provided the updated maps to humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, explaining that the newly designated zone was intended to facilitate aid operations and that movements there would require coordination with the IDF. Officials said civilians were not directly affected by the change.

The enlarged restricted area has reportedly raised concerns among displaced Gazans living nearby, amid fears they could be viewed as security threats if they approach the zone.

“We are tightening our grip on Hamas,” Netanyahu said Sunday.

“We know exactly what our mission is, and our mission is one thing only — to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” he added.

Addressing Friday’s reported elimination of senior Hamas terrorist Izz al-Din al-Haddad, Netanyahu said Israel was nearing completion of its campaign against those responsible for the October 7 massacre.

“I promised that all the architects of the massacre and all the architects of the kidnappings would be eliminated, every last one of them, and we are getting very close to completing that mission as well,” he said.

Al-Haddad was identified as one of the planners of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack in which terrorists murdered 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages to Gaza. He reportedly assumed leadership of Hamas in Gaza following the May 2025 killing of Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar.

Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials reported that at least four people were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday.

According to medics in Gaza, one strike near a Hamas police post in Khan Younis killed one person. The IDF said it had targeted an operative posing an immediate threat to Israeli forces operating in southern Gaza.

In a separate incident, medics said another Israeli airstrike struck a community kitchen near Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, reportedly killing at least three people.