Recent Israeli military operations in Gaza, including intensified airstrikes since the April 2026 pause in action against Iran, have expanded operational control to roughly 60 percent of the territory under Prime Minister Netanyahu's assessment. Official policy continues to emphasize security arrangements such as buffer zones rather than formal annexation declarations, consistent with repeated statements rejecting permanent territorial claims in the Strip. Traders reflect this through near-certain consensus that no legal annexation will occur by the June 30, 2026 deadline, given the absence of Knesset legislation or cabinet directives advancing sovereignty. Shifts remain possible only through abrupt policy reversals triggered by major escalations or coalition pressures before the cutoff.