Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
THE State of Palestine has condemned Israel’s latest expansion of its military boundary deeper into the Gaza Strip and described the move as a further escalation of the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians.
In a statement, Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri said Israeli forces now controlled about 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, leaving more than two million Palestinians confined to the remaining 30 percent of the territory.
“The Israeli forces now exert control over 70 percent of the entire Gaza Strip, leaving barely 30 percent of the enclave, a fraction of already devastated land, for more than two million people,” he said.
Ambassador Almassri said the latest military advances formed part of a deliberate, coordinated campaign by the Israeli leadership aimed at displacing Palestinians from their homeland.
Ambassador Almassri said the conflict, which intensified in October 2023, has resulted in more than 73 000 deaths and over 173 000 injuries, while claiming that about 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, water systems, roads and homes, has been destroyed.
He also condemned the escalating settler violence in the West Bank and said attacks have reached unprecedented levels.
Ambassador Almassri said the United Nations has recorded an average of six settler attacks per day in 2026, including arson, shootings and raids on Palestinian villages.
He said such attacks were intended to intimidate Palestinian communities and facilitate further land annexation.
Ambassador Almassri called on the international community and multilateral institutions to take practical measures to halt forced displacement, protect civilians and impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel over what he described as violations of international humanitarian law.
