The Israeli army controls 60% of the Gaza Strip.

Omissions

• The 60% figure originates from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's own announcement (reported by Anadolu Agency, Yeni Safak and JNS), not from an independent territorial measurement; no primary official statistic exists for this metric.
• Some independent analyses estimate Israeli control slightly higher than 60%: the Los Angeles Times (9 August 2026) put it at about 64% of Gaza, and NPR (10 July 2026) reported 'nearly 70%' as Israeli forces pushed deeper beyond the ceasefire line.
• Control of Gaza has shifted over time: roughly half of the strip at the October 2025 ceasefire, 53% after the redeployment to the 'yellow line', then about 60% and rising as Netanyahu ordered expansion toward 70%.
• The NPR (10 July 2026) and Los Angeles Times (9 August 2026) articles were published after the session date (8 July 2026), so the MEP could not have known them directly, although they describe the situation as of the time of the speech.

Sources

• SecondaryAnadolu AgencyNetanyahu says Israel controls 60% of Gaza, aims to expand to 70%... The Israeli army announced in October last year that it controlled 53% of the Gaza Strip after redeploying to the so-called 'yellow line'.
• SecondaryNPRDespite a ceasefire, Israel controls nearly 70% of Gaza... At the start of the ceasefire in October, the military controlled around half of the territory, along what is called the 'yellow line.' Now Israeli forces have pushed deeper.
• SecondaryLos Angeles TimesSince a 2025 ceasefire, Israel has shifted the Yellow Line west, boosting its control from 53% to about 64% of Gaza.
• SecondaryYeni SafakNetanyahu: Israel controls 60% of Gaza, aims for 70% expansion... reducing Palestinian space.
• SecondaryBBC NewsIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to increase control of Gaza to 70%... The expansion in control by Israel would contradict the terms of the ceasefire Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025.