TEL AVIV, May 26. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intends to establish full control over 75% of the Gaza Strip and push more than 2-million population of the enclave to the remaining territory in the next two months, The Times of Israel wrote, citing IDF documents.

According to the Israeli army, it currently controls about 40% of the territory of Gaza, the newspaper said. The new goals were set in line with an expansion of Israel's ground operation that involves the complete cleanup of the captured territory from the infrastructure of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, the razing of most of the buildings and occupation in the near future.

The civilian population of Gaza will be packed into three "humanitarian zones" – the center of Gaza City, a strip of land in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), established with the support of Israel and the US, will have to distribute food and other essential goods in these zones.

The IDF is shifting its focus away from eliminating Hamas militants and is centering on establishing stable control over the territories, the paper noted.

According to the Israeli army, there are about 900 kilometers of Hamas underground tunnels in Gaza, yet so far, only 25% of them have been destroyed. At the same time, the paper pointed out, the collateral damage during operations amounts to two to three civilians killed for every dead Hamas fighter. The IDF explains this ratio by the fact that radicals use civilians as human shields.

On March 18, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported widespread strikes on Hamas strongholds in the Gaza Strip, thus ending the truce established in January this year. On May 18, Israel announced the start of military actions in northern and southern areas of the enclave as part of the Gideon’s Chariots military operation aimed at defeating Hamas forces in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages.