IDF Quietly Expands Control in Gaza
Security officials say Israel’s hold inside the Strip has grown from 49 percent to 59 percent, as Southern Command prepares plans for a possible return to broader combat
As Israel and the United States wait to see whether the killing of Izz al-Din al-Haddad will shift the stalled negotiations with Hamas, the IDF has continued to deepen its operational control inside the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli security officials, the area under IDF control has expanded in recent months from roughly 49 percent of Gaza to about 59 percent. At the same time, Southern Command has been advancing operational plans for a possible return to wider fighting against Hamas.
When the ceasefire with Hamas began in the winter of 2025, IDF commanders assessed that Israeli forces had withdrawn to positions along what became known as the “yellow line,” controlling around 49 percent of the territory of the Gaza Strip.
Over time, the IDF began marking the yellow line with yellow barrels and signs, from Rafah in the south to the northern neighborhoods of Gaza City. As the months passed, field commanders, together with engineering forces, made changes on the ground and expanded the security zone in order to better protect Israeli troops operating along the line.
Security officials say that terrorist infrastructure was discovered both above and below ground, requiring engineering operations to destroy or neutralize it. There were also repeated attempts by terrorists to cross the yellow line, either to attack IDF forces or to reach the border area and attempt to infiltrate Israeli territory.
According to the officials, these attempts were disrupted or prevented through engineering activity that included the destruction of infrastructure and the creation of new operational routes.
Even before al-Haddad was killed last Friday, security officials said the negotiations between mediator Nikolay Mladenov and Hamas had reached a dead end. Al-Haddad, who was killed in Gaza City, was described by Israeli officials as an especially hardline figure who, together with Khalil al-Hayya, opposed compromises on the demilitarization of Gaza and the transfer of Hamas rule to a third party, such as a technocratic government.
American and Egyptian officials are now hoping that his death may create movement in the talks, particularly after Mohammed Odeh was chosen to replace him. Israeli security officials believe Odeh is not considered as influential or centralized a figure as al-Haddad.
For that reason, Southern Command has been preparing in recent weeks for a possible renewed military campaign against Hamas, either to force more effective negotiations or to disarm the organization through military action.
Security officials estimate that a decision on a broad military operation in Gaza will be made only after the Iranian issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, intensive engineering activity continues along the yellow line. The work is intended to improve observation capabilities, strengthen the security conditions separating the Hamas-controlled area from the IDF-controlled zone, upgrade routes and outposts, and integrate new technologies into the field.