Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 28 that he had directed the military to expand its control of Gaza to 70% of the territory. Reuters reported the remarks from a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement. The figure was a target, not confirmation that the expansion had occurred.
Reuters put effective Israeli control at an estimated 64%, citing analysis of military maps issued in March. The October US-brokered truce's Yellow Line had marked roughly 53%. Those figures describe different boundaries and stages; the new instruction envisaged another expansion beyond the area already restricted.
Netanyahu characterised seized territory as a security buffer against militant attacks. Palestinians feared permanent displacement, Reuters reported, citing their concerns about widening military zones and ministers' promotion of migration from Gaza. The announcement came while Israel and Hamas remained deadlocked over advancing a plan involving Israeli withdrawal and Hamas disarmament.
An earlier UN humanitarian report, dated May 25, documents the service conditions within Gaza. Displaced families were sheltering in crowded tents, schools and damaged buildings with few safe alternatives. Water and waste services were constrained, and humanitarian teams faced movement impediments in areas requiring coordination with Israeli authorities.
The UN's water and sanitation partners reported that the Sheikh Radwan stormwater lagoon had shut on May 11 to preserve its generator after prolonged operation. Engine-oil shortages were disrupting essential services, while rising water and wastewater levels increased flooding risks. This was a specific infrastructure failure already recorded before Netanyahu's announcement.
Waste disposal also depended on access to land. Temporary dumps operated near displacement sites because sanitary landfills near the perimeter were inaccessible where Israeli forces remained deployed. A pest-control campaign launched on May 17 targeted more than 1,700 locations, but partners said sustained sanitation required landfill access, debris-removal machinery and operating supplies. Territorial restrictions therefore affected service infrastructure as well as residential space.
