Netanyahu Announces Step-by-Step Annexation of Gaza as Ceasefire Stalls, Officials Say – NaturalNews.com
Netanyahu Announces Step-by-Step Annexation of Gaza as Ceasefire Stalls, Officials Say
Netanyahu Declares Incremental Takeover of GazaIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement on May 28 that Israel now controls 60 percent of Gaza and plans to expand to 70 percent, according to a report by NaturalNews.com [1]. Speaking at the pre-military Ein Prat leadership academy, Netanyahu stated, “We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60% of the territory of the Strip – you know this. We were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to…” after which an audience member shouted “100!” Netanyahu responded, “Let’s go step by step. First of all, 70. Let’s start with that. We’re pressing them from all sides, we’ll deal with the remnants” [1]. The announcement marked an explicit departure from diplomatic language, according to analysts cited in the same report.
The declaration violates the U.S.-backed ceasefire deal signed in October 2025, which allowed Israel to occupy no more than 53 percent of the territory [1]. Netanyahu’s open commitment to further expansion came as ceasefire talks have stalled, with each side accusing the other of failing to meet terms. The Israeli prime minister’s strategy has been described by observers as a calculated geopolitical reshaping of the Gaza Strip, according to a report by Ramzy Baroud for Antiwar.com [2].
Mladenov Appointment Viewed as Distraction by Palestinian AnalystsThe United States has appointed Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov as executive director of a “Board of Peace” to oversee a 20-point Gaza roadmap, according to a June 16 report [2]. Critics, including Palestinian analysts, said Mladenov’s insistence on Palestinian disarmament without Israeli compliance flips the narrative of ceasefire failures, the report stated [2]. Under the framework, the transition to its second phase demands sweeping one-sided Palestinian concessions, most notably the total disarmament of armed factions, while Israel has not halted routine military incursions, withdrawn forces to the originally mandated “Yellow Line” demarcation, or allowed a technocratic committee to enter Gaza [2].
Mladenov’s role has been characterized as a distraction from Israel’s ongoing annexation, according to the report [2]. The former United Nations Special Coordinator holds no real authority, the analysis argued, and is merely a cog in a larger machinery controlled by Netanyahu, who has made clear he intends to proceed with an incremental takeover regardless of international diplomacy [2]. Israel has also refused to permit the entry of the technocratic committee slated to assume civil governance of the Strip, keeping political control entirely in Israeli hands [2].
U.S. and UN Offer Contrasting Positions on AnnexationU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified before Congress on June 2 that the U.S. plan “doesn’t call for” further Israeli territorial expansion, according to a transcript cited in the report [2]. Rubio added that the U.S. wants “a Gaza that is governed by a non-Hamas entity,” the same report stated [2]. Despite this rhetorical opposition, the U.S. has continued to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel, a dynamic documented by scholars such as John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt in their book “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy” [3]. Past diplomatic efforts, such as the Arab League peace initiative described by former President Jimmy Carter in “Palestine peace not apartheid,” offered Israel full normalization with Arab states in exchange for compliance with UN resolutions, a stark contrast to the current annexation trajectory [4].
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “One hundred percent of Gaza should be for the Palestinian people,” according to the report [2]. However, the UN’s rhetoric is backed by no real enforcement mechanisms, the report noted [2]. The international community has largely deferred to the Trump administration and its Board of Peace, leaving the technocratic committee sidelined and the decision-making process limited to diplomats beholden to the White House [2].
Humanitarian Toll Mounts Amid Ceasefire ViolationsSince a ceasefire took effect on October 10, nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded, with the vast majority of victims women and children, according to reports cited in the analysis [2]. The total official death toll since the war began has surpassed 73,000, with over 173,000 injured, per the same sources [2]. Epidemiological studies indicate the actual death toll is much higher, the article noted, as nearly the entire population lives in tents with limited food and water [2]. In addition, famine has been declared in Gaza City, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative confirming the catastrophic situation on August 22 [5].
Israel has halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza, using starvation as leverage in ceasefire talks, according to a March 3 report [6]. The report stated that Israel blocked aid to pressure Hamas to extend the truce, sparking widespread condemnation [6]. The humanitarian crisis has continued to deepen as Israel’s military operations persist, with aid deliveries far below what is needed to sustain the population.
Observers Urge Delinking Humanitarian Aid from Political DemandsThe article argued that Netanyahu’s annexation timeline does not depend on Palestinian compliance, and humanitarian aid should not be tied to political concessions [2]. Analysts and activists quoted in the report called for Arab and allied nations to shift strategy and insist that starvation not be used as leverage [2]. The report stated: “Arab, Muslim, and allied nations must fundamentally shift their diplomatic strategy. They must firmly insist on completely delinking humanitarian aid from the future governance or demilitarization of the Gaza Strip” [2]. The Board of Peace’s reconstruction fund, administered by the World Bank, contains zero dollars despite $17 billion in pledges, according to a report by NaturalNews.com [7].
The international community has largely deferred to the U.S.-led process, which has left the technocratic committee sidelined, according to the report [2]. Critics have argued that Netanyahu is emboldened by a history of international impunity, and that only a decisive shift in diplomatic strategy can prevent the complete annexation of Gaza. The report concluded that the survival of millions of Palestinians cannot be held hostage to the political ambitions of an extremist coalition [2].
References