Israeli defense minister claims 70% of Gaza destroyed, says tactics used in southern Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country has destroyed 70% of the Gaza Strip and has applied similar tactics in southern Lebanon.

In comments to Channel 14 today, Katz stated that US President Donald Trump "understands that Israel will not withdraw from buffer zones in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria."

Katz also instructed the Israeli military to prepare to occupy another refugee camp in the West Bank and to expand what he described as "counter-terrorism" operations, similar to those previously carried out in the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps.

Yesterday, large Israeli forces raided the village of Shuqba west of Ramallah and demolished a resident's home, bringing the total number of demolitions since Monday to 11 homes and three structures in the Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Jenin governorates.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement today that it has documented more than 1,330 incidents involving Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2026, resulting in casualties and damage to Palestinian property.

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today to discuss the future of the war on Iran. This will be their eighth meeting and the fifth time Trump has hosted Netanyahu at the White House.