Netanyahu orders military to expand control of Gaza to 70 percent

The statement was made at a conference held on Thursday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, reported Israeli television channel Keshet 12.

"We are currently pressuring Hamas. We control 60 percent of the territory in the Gaza Strip. We controlled 50 percent; we expanded to 60. Now my directive is to expand to 70 percent," Netanyahu said at the conference on West Bank settlements.

A formal ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October.