Israeli Military to Cabinet: We Control About 70% of Gaza

After nearly three years of fighting in the Gaza Strip, the IDF presented the security cabinet on Tuesday night with an updated assessment stating that it currently controls between 67% and 70% of the Strip's territory, according to a report by i24NEWS. The update was delivered to ministers as part of security discussions held in recent days on developments across the various arenas.

Alongside the military advance, reports have emerged pointing to a possible upheaval within the Hamas leadership. According to a report published last week in the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, the organisation is preparing to announce the dissolution of the Committee for Following Up on Government Work — the body that has effectively served as the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.

The assessment of the IDF's hold on the Strip comes amid a series of security cabinet discussions in recent weeks that have also addressed other matters relating to the war and to the security situation on the northern front.

At last week's cabinet meeting, part of which dealt with the Lebanese arena, Minister Avi Dichter told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that relinquishing territory in Lebanon was liable to be misread by Hamas.

Netanyahu addressed Israel's presence in Lebanon and made clear to the ministers that Israel does not intend to withdraw even under American pressure: "A great deal must be done for the relationship with the United States — but not everything. Not at the expense of our interests, and not by withdrawing."