Findings show Israel holds 1,000sq km of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria under direct military rule. Israeli tanks drive along the road between destroyed houses in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel, on April 29, 2026 [Jalaa Marey/AFP] Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military control maps in its surrounding areas are no longer merely lines announced in official statements or drawn on military maps. After every ceasefire agreement, a map has emerged, and after every map, ques