Since the October 2025 ceasefire, Israeli forces have pushed their presence in Gaza past 60 percent, building new outposts and blocking aid, according to officials. In late May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had instructed the military to expand that control to 70 percent, a move that contradicts the truce’s terms. Netanyahu stated that his government is tightening pressure on Hamas and now holds three-fifths of the Strip, with orders to reach a higher figure. The expansion comes as internationally brokered negotiations remain stuck over the order of Palestinian disarmament versus statehood, with the Board of Peace—chaired by President Trump—insisting on disarmament first, a stance critics say mirrors long-standing Israeli demands. The deadlock, along with shifting international attention after the war in Iran, has left the ceasefire process struggling.