Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on May 17, 2026, that Israel is close to completing its goal of eliminating all those responsible for orchestrating the deadly Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Netanyahu said, "I promised that every single architect of the massacre and the hostage-taking would be eliminated down to the last one, and we are very close to completing this mission" [1].

The October 7, 2023 Hamas raid killed approximately 1,221 Israelis in a cross-border attack [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 6]. Israel’s military campaign since then has killed more than 72,700 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health authorities and UN sources [1].

During the fighting, Israel targeted senior Hamas commanders including Ezzedine Al-Haddad, killed in an Israeli airstrike on May 15, 2026, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and former political leader Ismail Haniyeh [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]. Netanyahu said, "We have Hamas in our grip. We know exactly what our mission is, and our mission is: To ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel" [7].

Netanyahu also announced Israeli forces now control 60% of Gaza’s territory, up from just over 50% agreed in the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025 [1, 3, 4, 9, 5, 7, 8]. Israeli control has expanded beyond the ceasefire's "Yellow Line" into a new area called the "Orange Line," reaching about 1,000 square kilometers across Gaza and neighboring Lebanon and Syria [1, 3, 4, 10, 5, 7]. Netanyahu said of the territory held, "Already 60 percent. This is for today" [9].

Israeli strikes have also targeted Hamas operatives in Lebanon and Iran-backed Hezbollah leaders, including former commander Hassan Nasrallah [4, 5, 7, 8]. Gaza health officials reported approximately 870 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire began, while Israel has lost 5 soldiers in the same period [2].

On May 15, Israel killed Hamas armed wing commander Ezzedine Al-Haddad in Gaza [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]. Netanyahu's May 17 statement affirmed that the operation to eliminate all key October 7 Hamas planners is nearing completion and that Israeli forces now hold the majority of Gaza territory, signaling a major milestone in the conflict [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].