Speaking during a visit to troops near the so-called Yellow Line on September 2, Netanyahu said Israel would maintain its positions and continue operations aimed at disarming Hamas.
"We control the area. We are not withdrawing. We are staying on this line," Netanyahu said in a video message released by his office. "We control 60% of the Strip, and there is still more to come, because we are eliminating the terrorists who threaten us, day in and day out."
The Yellow Line demarcates areas held by Israel and areas under Hamas administration under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. That agreement envisioned a phased Israeli withdrawal tied to Hamas disarmament and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
Netanyahu has insisted withdrawal will only follow complete disarmament.
"We are doing everything necessary to achieve our objective — disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza, [and ensuring] Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," he said.
*A Sticking Point in Ceasefire Talks*
The remarks highlight a central deadlock in the second phase of the ceasefire plan. Hamas has said it agreed to a framework for gradual disarmament, but conditions that on an end to Israeli strikes, deployment of the international force, and Israeli withdrawal.
The U.S.-backed Board of Peace has proposed that Hamas begin disarming while Israel halts strikes and begins pulling back from the territory it holds. Netanyahu publicly rejected a draft of that proposal in August, saying: "The Trump administration sent us a draft. We did not agree... We sent our comments."
Israeli officials argue Hamas is rearming and preparing for further attacks, a claim Hamas denies.
*What Happens to the 60%?*
Israel has not announced formal annexation, but Netanyahu has previously ordered the military to expand control to 70%, well beyond the roughly 53% allotted under the October ceasefire map.
For Palestinians in Gaza, the continued Israeli control means restricted movement, ongoing strikes, and delayed reconstruction. For Israel, the government frames it as a security buffer to protect border communities like Sderot, Ashkelon, and Netivot, visible from the military post Netanyahu visited.
International legal experts remain divided on how to characterize an indefinite military hold without annexation. Israel describes it as a temporary security measure pending demilitarization. Critics, including Palestinian officials and some human rights groups, argue it amounts to long-term occupation.
With elections due in Israel in October and ceasefire talks stalled, Netanyahu's position suggests no imminent withdrawal — leaving Gaza effectively partitioned for the foreseeable future.