# Nine months into US-brokered ceasefire, Israel controls nearly 70% of Gaza, up from 50% before the truce > A new NPR analysis finds that Israel's military has expanded its territorial control within the Gaza Strip from roughly 50% at the time of the ceasefire to nearly 70% nine months later, as Israeli forces have pushed deeper into areas that were nominally covered by the truce, with Palestinians paying a deadly price in the expanded zones **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-10 · heads: 戦争はどう終わるのか, 語られていないこと · 32 takes · 7 lenses · 9 regions ## Summary [Israel](/ja/entity/israel) controls nearly 70% of the [Gaza Strip](/ja/entity/gaza-war), up from roughly 50% at the time of the US-brokered ceasefire nine months ago, according to NPR's analysis of aid-organisation maps. [Netanyahu](/ja/entity/person/benjamin-netanyahu) set that figure himself in May, telling an audience his directive to the IDF was "first, 70%." Gaza's Government Media Office counts the Israeli footprint at 80%, a higher figure that includes access-restricted zones. The October 2025 ceasefire permitted Israel to remain along the "yellow line," which covered roughly 53% of the strip; by March 2026, a new "orange line" had added 11 more points. Hamas dissolved its Gaza governing body on July 6 and offered to hand power to a UN-backed technocratic committee (NCAG), but [Israel](/ja/entity/united-states) has not permitted that committee to enter Gaza. [Trump's](/ja/entity/person/donald-trump) peace plan, which calls for Israeli withdrawal, has stalled, with reports of mounting friction between Trump and Netanyahu. ## The split The number itself is contested, and where you live determines which one you read. US outlets, including NPR, use the 70% figure, derived from Israeli officials' own statements and aid-organisation access maps. Gaza's Government Media Office, cited by Al Jazeera, puts the figure at 80%, counting access-restricted zones that residents cannot enter. The Times of Israel, reporting from within Israel, framed the May 28 directive differently from US outlets: Netanyahu's own words, "well beyond terms of the truce," appeared in the Israeli headline, whereas US coverage treated the expansion as an unexplained fact rather than an admitted policy. Within Israel, the coalition is fractured. Netanyahu's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said the Gaza plan "will end in tears," meaning he thinks it concedes too much. Polls reported by Middle East Eye show most Israelis rate Netanyahu poorly; Smotrich and Ben Gvir are even less popular. Netanyahu is positioned between a Trump peace framework that demands withdrawal and coalition partners who read any withdrawal as capitulation. Gisha, an Israeli civil-society NGO, mapped the technical gap between the yellow and orange lines, documenting how Israeli military maps shared with aid groups show the expansion that was never announced publicly. The UN Humanitarian Country Team issued a joint statement warning the shifting lines endanger civilians and restrict aid, a framing absent from Israeli official communications. Gaza's governance split follows the same pattern: Hamas dissolved its government and the NCAG committee waits in Cairo, but whether Israel's refusal to let it in reads as blocking reconstruction or maintaining security depends entirely on which press you read. ## By the numbers - 53%, Israeli military control at the October 2025 ceasefire yellow line. - 64%, Israeli-coordinated access after the March 2026 orange line was shared with aid groups (Gisha). - ~70%, NPR's July 2026 estimate of Israeli control, based on aid-organisation maps and Israeli official statements. - 80%, Gaza Government Media Office figure for Israeli territorial seizure as of July 2, 2026 (Al Jazeera). - ~200, Palestinians killed by Israeli forces near the shifting yellow and orange lines during the ceasefire (UN OCHA). - 1,092, Palestinians killed across Gaza since the ceasefire began in October 2025 (Al Jazeera / Gaza health ministry). - 73,066+, total Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023 (Gaza health ministry, as of July 2026). ## Why it matters A ceasefire that permits one party to expand its territorial footprint by 17 percentage points beyond the agreed line challenges the basic premise of the truce framework. Netanyahu's May 28 statement, publicly admitting a directive to seize 70%, was notable for its candour: the expansion was not a battlefield outcome but an announced objective, set above the ceasefire text's terms. Gaza's governance vacuum deepens the same pattern. Hamas has removed itself from administration; the replacement body cannot enter. The [Palestinian legislative elections](/ja/n/plo-elections-decree-nov28) decreed for November 28 are scheduled for territory in which the party that won the last elections dissolved itself and the body meant to replace it cannot reach the polling places. ## What to watch - Whether Israel permits the NCAG governance committee to enter Gaza from Cairo; this is the clearest test of whether the ceasefire's political framework is still operative. - Which territorial line Israel holds as talks over the plan's next phase resume: 70, 64, or 53 each represents a different baseline for any withdrawal or reconstruction. - Smotrich and Ben Gvir's vote on any coalition agreement that includes Israeli withdrawal; either can bring down the government. - Trump's posture: whether the reported friction with Netanyahu translates into public US pressure on the 70% expansion or remains private. ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### unlabelled - **UN Humanitarian Country Team** (United Nations, en) — Joint statement by UN agencies and aid groups operating in Gaza criticises Israel's moving control lines, which restrict aid access for thousands of families and have led to killings of Palestinians moving through areas lacking clear demarcation. Access-restricted zones now cover about 65% of Gaza's land. > "The expansion of areas under Israeli control in Gaza endangers civilians and severely constrains humanitarian operations, including aid delivery and access to displaced persons." Source: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/expansion-of-areas-under-israeli-control-in-gaza-endangers-civilians-and-relief-efforts-statement-by-humanitarian-country-team/ - **CNN** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/28/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-military-70-percent-gaza-intl - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/28/israels-netanyahu-directs-army-to-seize-70-percent-of-gaza-strip - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/6/hamas-announces-dissolution-of-gaza-governing-body - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/7/what-is-the-new-gaza-administration-as-hamas-dissolves-government - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/9/israeli-attacks-on-gaza-kill-10-people-in-24-hours-despite-ceasefire - **Express Tribune** (Pakistan, en) — Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2616133/israel-controls-over-80-of-gaza-dropped-223000-tons-of-explosives-as-genocide-reaches-1000-days - **PBS NewsHour** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/gazas-future-remains-uncertain-as-palestinians-and-israelis-mark-1000-days-of-war - **PBS NewsHour** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/hamas-says-it-has-dissolved-its-government-in-gaza-to-transfer-power-to-a-un-backed-committee - **Times of Israel (liveblog)** (Israel, en) — Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/smotrich-says-gaza-plan-will-end-in-tears-but-does-not-say-he-will-oppose-it/ - **Middle East Eye** (United Kingdom, en) — Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/poll-most-israelis-rate-netanyahu-poorly-smotrich-and-ben-gvir-highly - **Novara Media** (United Kingdom, en) — Source: https://novaramedia.com/2026/05/29/netanyahu-orders-idf-to-seize-70-of-gaza/ - **The Week India** (India, en) — Source: https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/05/29/netanyahu-eyes-70percent-gaza-control-disrupting-ceasefire-framework.html - **Modern Diplomacy** (Europe, en) — Source: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/07/05/gazas-1000-days-the-ceasefire-that-cannot-become-a-peace/ - **Chatham House** (United Kingdom, en) — Source: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/07/netanyahu-caught-between-trump-and-hard-place - **The Canary** (United Kingdom, en) — Source: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/07/03/israel-genocide-gaza-2/ - **GV Wire** (United States, en) — Source: https://gvwire.com/2026/04/30/israeli-maps-outline-expanded-zone-of-military-control-in-gaza/ - **US News & World Report** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-07-06/hamas-dissolves-its-government-in-gaza-to-transfer-power-to-a-un-backed-committee - **UN News** (United Nations, en) — Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1167852 - **ACLED** (United States, en) — Source: https://acleddata.com/update/middle-east-overview-july-2026 - **Security Council Report** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2026-07/the-middle-east-including-the-palestinian-question-25.php - **Antiwar.com** (United States, en) — Source: https://news.antiwar.com/2026/07/02/no-end-in-sight-to-israels-genocidal-conquest-of-gaza-after-1000-days/ - **KGOU (NPR affiliate)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.kgou.org/world/2026-07-10/9-months-into-a-ceasefire-israel-now-controls-nearly-70-of-gaza - **KPBS (NPR affiliate)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.kpbs.org/news/international/2026/07/10/9-months-into-a-ceasefire-israel-now-controls-nearly-70-of-gaza - **WUNC (NPR affiliate)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.wunc.org/2026-07-10/9-months-into-a-ceasefire-israel-now-controls-nearly-70-of-gaza - **YPR Radio (NPR affiliate)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.ypradio.org/npr-news/2026-07-10/9-months-into-a-ceasefire-israel-now-controls-nearly-70-of-gaza ### US public broadcasting; investigative piece on Israel's territorial expansion inside Gaza despite the ceasefire - **NPR** (United States, en) — NPR's investigation found that when the US brokered a ceasefire last year, Israel controlled roughly half of Gaza. Israeli forces have since pushed deeper, extending control to nearly 70% of the territory. The piece frames the expansion as happening while a nominal ceasefire remained in place, with Palestinian civilians paying a deadly price in the newly controlled zones. > "When the US brokered a ceasefire last year, Israel controlled half of Gaza. Now Israeli forces have pushed deeper, and Palestinians are paying a deadly price." Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/10/nx-s1-5887357/israel-gaza-war-trump-ceasefire-military-control ### Israeli mainstream press; reports Netanyahu's May 28 admission that he ordered the IDF to seize 70%, described as well beyond the ceasefire's terms - **Times of Israel** (Israel, en) — Netanyahu told an audience at the Ein Prat Leadership Academy in Jerusalem on May 28 that he directed the IDF to seize 70% of Gaza. The Times of Israel reported the directive as going well beyond the October 2025 ceasefire terms, which permitted Israeli forces in roughly 53% of the strip. > "Netanyahu says he told IDF to seize 70% of Gaza strip, well beyond terms of truce." Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-says-he-told-idf-to-seize-70-of-gaza-strip-well-beyond-terms-of-truce/ ### Qatari state-affiliated broadcaster; Gaza 1,000-day retrospective using Gaza Government Media Office figures, higher than Israeli-cited 70% - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Al Jazeera, citing Gaza's Government Media Office, reports that 80% of the strip has been seized and 90% destroyed as the war marks its 1,000th day on July 2. The figure is higher than the 70% Israel acknowledges, reflecting Gaza authorities' methodology of including access-restricted zones and areas of indirect control. > "Israeli forces are in control of 80 percent of the besieged territory, according to authorities in the enclave, as the world marks 1,000 days since the war began." Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/2/gaza-wars-1000-days-90-of-strip-destroyed-80-seized-by-israel ### Israeli civil-society access-rights NGO; maps the technical gap between the yellow line (53%, ceasefire terms) and the orange line (64%, March 2026 expansion) using Israeli military maps shared with aid groups - **Gisha** (Israel, en) — Gisha's analysis of Israeli military maps documents Israeli forces at the yellow line (53% of Gaza) under ceasefire terms. In March 2026, Israel shared an updated 'orange line' with aid groups, adding 11 percentage points to reach 64%. Ten UNRWA facilities, including sites housing displaced persons, fell behind the orange line. > "The updated route of the Orange Line shared in March 2026 deviates from the Yellow Line by approximately 11 percent, expanding Israeli-coordinated access to about 64 percent of the Strip." Source: https://gisha.org/en/between-the-yellow-and-orange-lines/ ### Asia-Pacific English-language press; covers Hamas dissolution of governing body with focus on the governance transition and the US-backed NCAG committee - **South China Morning Post** (Hong Kong, en) — SCMP reports Hamas dissolved its Gaza governing body on July 6, preparing to hand over civilian affairs to the NCAG, a UN-backed technocratic committee formed under UNSC Resolution 2803. Israel has not permitted the committee to enter Gaza; it remains headquartered in Cairo, with its acting commissioner Ali Abdel Hamid Shaath operating from there. > "Hamas dissolves Gaza governing body amid ceasefire as the NCAG, a UN-backed committee in Cairo, awaits Israeli permission to enter the territory." Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3359632/hamas-dissolves-gaza-governing-body ### US tech-culture commentary; leads with the contradiction between ceasefire branding and territorial expansion - **BoingBoing** (United States, en) — BoingBoing's commentary frames the ceasefire expansion as an absurdity, noting Israel's control grew from 50% to 70% under the terms of the US-brokered truce. It links and summarises the NPR investigation while emphasising the gap between the ceasefire label and the reality on the ground. > "Nine months into a ceasefire, Israel now controls nearly 70% of Gaza, up from 50% before the ceasefire, because apparently the 'cease' part was more of a branding exercise." Source: https://boingboing.net/2026/07/10/gazas-ceasefire-has-somehow-expanded-israels-control-to-nearly-70.html ## Across the graph - Related: [[iran-us-ceasefire-mou]], [[israel-hezbollah-dossier]], [[plo-elections-decree-nov28]] - Entities: Israel, Palestine, Gaza War, Person:donald Trump, Person:benjamin Netanyahu --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ja/n/israel-gaza-ceasefire-70pct-jul10