Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israel Defence Forces to expand their operational control over the Gaza Strip to 70 per cent, according to senior military sources. The escalation marks a significant intensification of the ground campaign that began three weeks ago, and comes despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire.
Civilians in northern Gaza have been ordered to relocate south of the Wadi Gaza line, with the IDF establishing new forward operating bases and artillery positions. Humanitarian corridors remain open but have been described by UN relief officials as insufficient for the scale of displacement. More than 300,000 people have moved south in the past 48 hours, overwhelming already strained shelters.
In London, the Foreign Office issued a carefully worded statement expressing “deep concern” over the expansion and reiterating the UK’s position that “restraint and adherence to international humanitarian law must be paramount”. A senior Foreign Office source said ministers were “exasperated” by the lack of consultation from Jerusalem, noting that the US and UK had not been given prior warning of the scale of the operation.
The Cabinet Office is understood to be reviewing export licences for military components supplied to Israel, though no immediate suspension is expected. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman declined to comment on whether British nationals in Gaza would be prioritised for evacuation, saying only that “all options were being considered”.
Netanyahu’s office dismissed the UK criticism in a statement that described the operation as “a necessary step to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure embedded in civilian areas”. The statement noted that Israel had shared targeting data with allies and was taking “all feasible precautions” to avoid civilian casualties.
Military analysts estimate that full control of the territory would require an additional 10,000 ground troops and could take another two weeks. The IDF has already called up 360,000 reservists since the conflict began. Intelligence assessments suggest that Hamas retains the ability to launch short-range rockets from the southern half of the strip, which has not yet been fully secured.
The expansion has drawn sharp responses from regional powers. Cairo recalled its ambassador for consultations, warning that further escalation could “destabilise the entire eastern Mediterranean”. Saudi Arabia, which was on the verge of normalising relations with Israel before the conflict, suspended all bilateral talks indefinitely.
At the United Nations, the Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session later today. A draft resolution circulated by the UAE calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and demands unrestricted access for aid convoys. Both the US and UK have indicated they would veto any text that does not explicitly condemn Hamas’s 7 October attack.
For now, diplomacy remains stalled. Mediators in Doha report that Hamas has refused to discuss prisoner exchanges or a temporary truce unless Israel halts the ground advance. Netanyahu, facing domestic pressure to secure the release of more than 200 hostages, has shown no willingness to pause the military campaign.
As night falls over Gaza, the sound of artillery and drones continues uninterrupted. The next 72 hours will determine whether this escalation forces a diplomatic breakthrough or deepens a conflict that is already the deadliest in the region in decades.
