Israel is reportedly developing plans to maintain control over 70-75% of the Gaza Strip following the conclusion of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, representing a fundamental change in approach to the territory’s future governance, according to a senior Israeli defense official.
The report, initially published in Jewish Breaking News, the strategy centers on establishing what officials describe as a “Small Gaza”—a significantly reduced autonomous zone for Palestinian civilians. At the same time, Israel retains long-term security authority over the majority of the territory.
According to the anonymous defense source, the plan seeks to “shrink Gaza, force Hamas to lose territory, and push it out of its comfort zone. We aim to sever its connection to the population and establish checkpoints and control zones to filter out Hamas terrorists.”
This would constitute the most substantial change to Gaza’s territorial arrangement since Israel’s complete withdrawal during the 2005 disengagement.
The reported framework includes several key components: permanent security buffer zones along northern and eastern borders, checkpoint and filtration systems designed to identify Hamas operatives, measures to prevent Hamas from reestablishing control over civilian areas, and sustained Israeli military presence in strategic corridors.
Israeli officials characterize this approach as targeting Hamas both militarily and territorially, aiming to separate the organization from the civilian population it has historically used for both protection and political support.
The proposal emerges after months of intensive military operations focused on tunnel destruction, elimination of Hamas battalions, and hostage rescue efforts.
Implementation of such a plan would significantly reshape Gaza’s political landscape and likely generate substantial international controversy.
The territorial control strategy coincides with a separate but related development involving population relocation. During his first press conference in five months on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the implementation of President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Gaza’s civilians as a condition for ending the conflict—the first time he has made such a demand. Netanyahu described Trump’s plan as “revolutionary” and “brilliant,” stating it had the potential to transform the Middle East.
According to NBC News, the Trump administration is developing plans to permanently relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya, based on information from five sources familiar with the effort. The plan has progressed to discussions with Libya’s leadership, according to two people with direct knowledge and a former U.S. official. In exchange for accepting the Palestinian refugees, the administration would potentially release billions of dollars in funds frozen by the U.S. more than a decade ago.
This development comes as diplomatic activity intensifies around Palestinian statehood recognition. A UN-sponsored conference beginning June 17 in New York, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, will address Palestinian state recognition. France, Britain, and Canada are advocating for Palestinian statehood, with French officials hoping to gain support from Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, and other European nations.
Meanwhile, domestic Israeli politics has seen related developments. In February, Knesset Member Ohad Tal of the Religious Zionist Party introduced legislation to extend Israeli sovereignty throughout Judea and Samaria. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) simultaneously passed a resolution supporting US backing for Israeli sovereignty over the same territories.
