A Palestinian man carries a toddler amid makeshift shelters in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 21, 2026. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations. Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP via Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the Israeli military to take more territory in the Gaza Strip and has pledged to deal with the “remnants” of the Hamas terrorist group.
Israel effectively controls 64 percent of Gaza—which is home to 2.4 million Palestinians—after a military offensive that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas, which killed 1,200 Israelis.