Netanyahu says Gaza 'under control', vows to complete Hamas disarmament

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said Israel was in control of the area where its forces are operating in the Gaza Strip and vowed to maintain its position until Hamas is disarmed and the territory is demilitarised.In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote, “I'm here in the Gaza Strip. Gantz wanted us to surrender and get out of here — good thing I didn't listen to him. Today we control the area and are holding this line.‘More work to complete’Netanyahu said Israel still had more work to do to achieve its stated objectives in Gaza.“We have more work to complete and we will complete it — until Hamas is disarmed and Gaza is demilitarized,” he said.In a separate field update on the situation in Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel was maintaining its current position and said efforts were underway to dismantle Hamas's weapons capabilities.“We are doing everything to achieve our goal — dismantling Hamas from its weapons and demilitarizing Gaza. Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said.His remarks come as Israel continues its military operations in the Gaza Strip, with the government maintaining that the disarmament of Hamas and demilitarisation of Gaza are key objectives.Previously, Netanyahu has said that Israel controls around 60% of the Gaza Strip and has ordered the military to expand its control to 70%- far beyond the territory Israel was permitted to retain under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement with Hamas, according to The Times Of Israel.The terms of Israel’s withdrawal and its continued military strikes have emerged as key sticking points in US-backed Board of Peace talks between Israel and Hamas.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.