The IDF has publicly stated its goal is to control approximately 75% of the Gaza Strip.

By Hezy Laing

Military analysts say Israel is currently in control of 65% of the Gaza strip – an achievement it secured in only three months.

The IDF has publicly stated its goal of gaining control over approximately 75% of the strip.

After the collapse of a ceasefire agreement in mid-March, the IDF resumed large-scale ground operations and made quick headway.

Initial objectives focused on re-establishing control in northern Gaza, including areas like Beit Lahiya and Jabalya.

Then the IDF began clearing tunnels, targeting Hamas command centers, and pushing civilians southward to isolate militants.

Despite the success of the current operation, scattered areas throughout the Gaza strip will still remain outside IDF control.

These include:

Parts of the southern town of Rafiah. The western section especially has become a last refuge for some of Hamas’s remaining leadership.

Urban pockets in central Gaza: Neighborhoods like al-Zeitoun and al-Tuffah in Gaza City have seen intermittent Hamas activity, though Israeli forces have conducted repeated raids there.

Tunnel networks beneath Khan Yunis and Gaza City: Despite heavy bombardment, some underground infrastructure remains intact, allowing Hamas to move fighters and supplies covertly.

Northern Gaza outskirts: Small cells continue to launch attacks or ambush IDF patrols, particularly in areas like Jabalia.

Despite the lack of total IDF control analysts believe that Hamas’s control is fading.

Intelligence reports suggest Hamas has lost its ability to coordinate operations across Gaza. Fighters are operating autonomously in isolated cells.

In places like Rafah, local clans such as the Abu Shabab group have begun asserting control, sometimes with Israeli backing, further eroding Hamas’s authority.

Meanwhile the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation now operates food distribution centers in IDF-controlled zones, weakening Hamas’s grip on civilian resources