Israel Plans to Occupy 75% of Gaza Within Two Months... US Urges Invasion Delay

2 Million Gaza Residents to Be Forcibly Relocated to 25% of the Territory

The Israeli military is advancing a new operation aimed at occupying 75% of the Gaza Strip within two months and pushing Palestinian civilians into the remaining 25% of the territory.

Bloomberg News and local outlet The Times of Israel reported this on the 25th (local time).

Gaza Strip. Photo by AFP News Agency

As a result of this large-scale ground offensive, Palestinian residents are expected to be forced into three zones, which together make up 25% of the Gaza Strip's area. These areas are Al-Mawasi in the south, Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat in the center, and Gaza City. The current population of the Gaza Strip is estimated to be about 2 million.

Israel plans to occupy the remaining areas of the Gaza Strip, destroy Hamas infrastructure, and then maintain a military presence there. The occupied territories would include Rafah, Khan Younis, and the northern part of Gaza City. Currently, the Israeli military controls about 40% of the Gaza Strip's territory.

The objectives of this operation are to ultimately defeat Hamas or expel its leadership, and to pressure Hamas to release hostages it is holding. Israeli military officials told The Times of Israel that while the initial phase of the war focused on eliminating Hamas, the current operation aims to occupy territory in the Gaza Strip and destroy Hamas infrastructure. Hamas has constructed approximately 900 kilometers of tunnels in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli military, 25% of these tunnels have been destroyed.

This announcement came as limited humanitarian aid deliveries were resuming in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military believes that destroying Hamas military facilities and preventing Hamas from distributing humanitarian aid are both essential for removing Hamas from Gaza. In contrast, the United Nations and other members of the international community have expressed concern about the severe food shortage in Gaza, warning of a humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, on the same day, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing multiple sources, that the United States has asked Israel to delay a large-scale ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The purpose is to allow military operations and ceasefire negotiations to proceed in parallel. There are also concerns that if Israel launches a full-scale invasion, it may not withdraw from the occupied areas of Gaza regardless of future negotiations.

On May 16, after U.S. President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East concluded, Israel launched "Operation Gideon's Chariots" with the goal of reoccupying the Gaza Strip.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.