Washington Distances Itself from Netanyahu’s Plan to Expand Control in Gaza

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The Israeli military continues demolition and destruction operations in Gaza in an effort to impose a new reality on the ground and extend its control over 70 percent of the enclave’s territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the Israeli plan to take control of 70 percent of the Gaza Strip forms part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to end the war in the territory. Rubio made the remarks during a hearing of a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee dedicated to discussing the administration’s budget request for fiscal year 2027.

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Responding to a question from Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s instructions concerning the “seizure” of 70 percent of Gaza’s land, Rubio stated: “We have a plan, and that plan does not include such a measure.”

Last Thursday, Netanyahu declared that Israeli forces currently control approximately 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and intend to increase that figure to 70 percent, a move viewed as contrary to the ceasefire agreement.

Israel had previously announced that it controlled 53 percent of the enclave following a withdrawal carried out under the first phase of the plan backed by the U.S. president.

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The American plan to end the war in Gaza, announced on September 29 of last year and consisting of 20 provisions, is supported by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted on November 17, 2025.

On the ground, Israel continued demolition and destruction operations in several areas of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military carried out five demolition operations targeting homes and residential buildings in areas east of Gaza City and northeast of Khan Younis in the southern part of the enclave, within territories under its military control.

Powerful explosions were heard in the eastern districts of Gaza City as Israeli forces demolished houses and residential structures in neighborhoods under their control east of the city.

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In Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza, eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency correspondents that Israeli forces carried out explosions and demolitions of buildings and residential homes in areas northeast of the city.

Witnesses reported that thick columns of smoke rose from the targeted locations, while the sound of explosions could be heard from considerable distances. They also stated that the Israeli military had intensified land-clearing and burning operations in the areas under its control throughout the Gaza Strip in recent days.

The demolition activities coincided with heavy gunfire and the launch of illumination and smoke shells in areas adjacent to Hamad Hospital, southeast of the Al-Mawasi zone in the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza.

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On October 8, 2023, Israel, with U.S. support, launched a deadly war in Gaza that lasted for two years and resulted in the deaths of approximately 73,000 people and injuries to around 173,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The conflict also caused the destruction of 90 percent of the territory’s infrastructure.

Despite a ceasefire agreement announced on October 10, 2025, Israel continues its operations by restricting the entry of humanitarian aid and carrying out daily bombardments that have killed and wounded thousands of Palestinian civilians.

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