The 'Orange Line' Deception: Israel Swallows 64% of Gaza's Area and Prepares to Resume Fighting

International reports and UN organizations have revealed a new Israeli strategy to expand field control over the Gaza Strip by imposing what is known as the 'Orange Line'. This line represents a new military demarcation extending beyond the 'Yellow Line' to which Israeli forces previously withdrew, increasing the area militarily encircled to about 64% of the total area of the Strip.

Media sources reported that the occupation army gradually pushed this line towards the western areas over the past few months, with the control percentage jumping from 53% at the signing of the ceasefire agreement in October 2025 to about 59%, reaching the current percentage that devours nearly two-thirds of Gaza's area.

Recent satellite images analysis showed intensive movements of Israeli vehicles, with yellow concrete blocks being moved to deeper locations within the Strip. These images confirm that the occupation seeks to establish a new geographical reality that goes beyond declared understandings, putting thousands of civilians in direct confrontation with the risk of death.

Sources quoted local residents in Gaza giving shocking testimonies, confirming that they wake up to find military lines have moved closer to their tents and destroyed homes. These residents suddenly find themselves inside 'open fire zones' without prior warning, leading to hundreds of casualties since the fragile truce began.

On the construction front, the Israeli army reinforced its fortifications by building massive earth embankments extending over 16 kilometers, aimed at providing wide viewing angles for snipers and tanks. The occupation also built 32 fortified military sites, seven of which were completed in recent months, indicating a clear intention to turn these lines into permanent borders.

Regarding the secret 'Orange Line', sources revealed that Israel handed over special maps to international relief organizations in mid-March containing this line. The line defines an additional restricted area extending up to 500 meters outside the declared Yellow Line, without Palestinian civilians being informed of its existence or dangers.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) refused to provide clear answers about the criteria for updating these maps or the reasons for concealing them from the population. An official in the authority merely stated that the boundaries of these areas are subject to continuous operational assessments, which gives the army loose legal cover to target any movement in those areas.

For its part, UNRWA documented the repercussions of this field expansion, noting that Israeli forces continue their intensive military activity in areas such as Jabalia. The agency confirmed that 127 of its facilities are now located behind Israeli lines, requiring complex security coordination to access them and provide services to refugees.

The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, expressed the organization's grave concern about these developments, confirming receipt of the 'Orange Line' maps. Dujarric clarified that the UN was informed of the need for prior coordination for the movements of relief teams, considering these measures to hinder humanitarian work and increase the suffering of the besieged population.

On the ground, civilians have paid a heavy price for this policy, with more than 800 Palestinians martyred by occupation fire since last October, most of them in areas near the military lines. The list of victims included workers from international organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization, who were targeted while performing their duties in the area between the lines.

In a related context, Hebrew sources revealed pressures exerted by senior officials in the Israeli General Staff to resume comprehensive combat operations in Gaza. These officials believe that 'the mission is not complete' and demand that the current time be used to resolve the confrontation with resistance factions that reject disarmament conditions.

Recent military movements indicate the seriousness of these threats, as the army reduced its forces in southern Lebanon and transferred regular brigades to the Gaza and West Bank fronts. The Southern Command has completed the preparation of its operational plans, awaiting the green light from the political level to return to a full-scale war.

These developments come at a time when the region is witnessing a wide escalation, with the occupation army issuing evacuation orders for 11 towns in southern Lebanon, along with intensified air raids and artillery shelling. This interconnectedness between the fronts reflects an Israeli desire to redraw the security map of the entire region under the guise of ongoing military operations.

The fate of two million Palestinians in Gaza remains suspended between the hammer of a suffocating siege and the anvil of military expansion that shrinks living spaces day by day. Amid the faltering international political initiatives, it seems that the 'Orange Line' is not just a mark on a map, but a new wall added to the large prison of Gaza.

The Yellow Line is a literal and metaphorical indicator that things are not going in the right direction, and we continue discussions to clarify the issue of the Orange Line.