Image: Wikimedia Commons photo of Gaza City, used as real visual context for the Gaza territorial-control dispute.
- Asharq Al-Awsat, citing the G7 session, reports Sisi urged Israel to abandon the plan to control 70 percent of Gaza.
- Sisi said only 30 percent of the Strip would effectively be left for Palestinians and that the approach must stop immediately.
- The 70 percent plan traces back to Netanyahu's late-May directive to expand Israeli control from roughly 60 percent toward 70 percent.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi used the G7 summit in France to push back against Israel's plan to expand military control over Gaza to 70 percent of the Strip.
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Sisi urged Israel to abandon the plan during a Middle East stability session in Evian-les-Bains. The session was attended by G7 and EU leaders, along with leaders from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
What Sisi said
The key line is direct: Sisi said that if Israel controls 70 percent of Gaza, only 30 percent is effectively left for Palestinians. He said that approach must stop immediately.
He also tied the warning to a broader diplomatic frame: a just and lasting settlement based on the two-state solution, plus implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.
Where the 70 percent figure comes from
The number is not invented by Egypt. It comes from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's late-May comments, when he said Israeli forces controlled about 60 percent of Gaza and that his directive was to move toward 70 percent.
Al Jazeera, The Guardian and Ahram Online all reported the late-May directive. The Guardian described it as a violation of the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework, while Al Jazeera noted that the Israeli army had already expanded beyond the so-called Yellow Line.
What is confirmed
Confirmed: Sisi made the warning at the G7 summit. Confirmed: the warning was about Israel's plan to control 70 percent of Gaza. Confirmed: Netanyahu had previously described moving from roughly 60 percent control toward 70 percent.
Also confirmed: Egypt is positioning itself as a mediator and reconstruction actor, with Ahram Online reporting that Sisi discussed Gaza, humanitarian access and early recovery with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the summit sidelines.
What is not confirmed
Not confirmed: that Israel has formally abandoned the 70 percent objective. Not confirmed: that Sisi's warning has been accepted by Israel as a binding condition. Not confirmed: that the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire has restarted.
That is why the clean wording is "Sisi urges Israel to abandon the plan," not "Israel abandons the plan."
Why it matters
Egypt's position matters because Cairo is one of the main mediators on Gaza and controls the key border with the enclave. It is also trying to keep the postwar framework focused on reconstruction, Palestinian presence in Gaza and a two-state political track.
If Israel expands its zone to 70 percent, the diplomatic argument becomes harder: mediators would be trying to implement a peace plan while the physical space left to Palestinians keeps shrinking.
What to watch next
Watch whether the G7 statement includes language on Gaza territorial control, whether Trump or European leaders publicly pressure Israel over the 70 percent plan, and whether Israeli officials repeat or soften Netanyahu's directive.
NoDechev rating: confirmed warning, unresolved outcome. Sisi's G7 warning is sourced; Israel has not publicly accepted it as binding, and the 70 percent plan remains the pressure point.
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Sisi at the G7 urged Israel to abandon its plan to control 70% of Gaza, warning only 30% would effectively be left for Palestinians. Important caveat: this is Egypt's diplomatic warning, not proof Israel has dropped the plan.
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