From “Yellow” to “Orange”: “Israel” Swallows Gaza Strip
GAZA, May 06 (YPA) – “Israel” has not settled for the so-called “Yellow Line” that swallows lands in the Gaza Strip; rather, it has worked to expand it to devour even more Palestinian territory.
This expansion has evolved into what is now known as the “Orange Line,” which is broader and more extensive than its predecessor, reaching deep into residential areas in the central and northern parts of the Strip.
The new line shrinks residential zones and converts them into hazardous, inaccessible perimeters. This move contributes to imposing a new status quo, restricting the movement of citizens and preventing displaced persons from returning to their homes.
According to Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, “Israel” has provided aid agencies in Gaza with maps featuring another colored boundary beyond the Yellow Line called the “Orange Line.” Meanwhile, Palestinian human rights organizations have revealed that Israeli control has expanded to encompass 64% of the total area of the Gaza Strip.
The “Orange Line” exceeds the “Yellow Line” stipulated in the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, 2025.
Control Over More Than 60%
The European Union has rejected any change in territorial control within the Gaza Strip in response to Israel’s introduction of the so-called “Orange Line.”
Anwar Al-Anouni, EU Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, stated, “The Union rejects this step, which increases the area of land controlled by Israel to more than 60% of the Gaza Strip, instead of implementing the additional withdrawals stipulated in the peace agreement.”
He emphasized that the EU reaffirms the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the occupied West Bank under the administration of the Palestinian Authority. He noted that the EU calls for the urgent implementation of the Gaza peace plan, expressing deep sorrow over the ongoing catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Strip.
Al-Anouni also called on “Israel” to immediately allow the large-scale and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid and to ensure its sustainable distribution.
Strategic Deception
For his part, Samir Zaqout, Deputy Director of Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, warned that what the Gaza Strip is currently witnessing is a process of “strategic deception” led by the United States to facilitate genocide in a “less escalatory” but more lethal and sustainable manner.
In a press statement, Zaqout asserted that the “Trump Plan” and the “Sharm El-Sheikh Agreements” were merely tools to contain global public opinion, while the reality on the ground establishes a long-term occupation paving the way for forced displacement.
Zaqout revealed shocking field facts regarding the expansion of Israeli occupation forces, noting that the so-called “Orange” or “Yellow” lines are swallowing vast areas. The percentage of land controlled by the occupation has risen from 50% to over 70% of the Strip’s area.
He explained that “Salah al-Din Road,” connecting Khan Yunis and Gaza, has come under direct control. The “Yellow Block” was placed in the middle of the Bani Suheila roundabout, and elevated military outposts were established to overlook the road, making travel on it a life-threatening adventure. Every expansion of this line is accompanied by systematic demolition and destruction of all facilities and buildings to ensure that life cannot return to them in the future.
The Deputy Director of Al-Mezan clarified that the occupation has not complied with any clause regarding the withdrawal of its forces or the flow of aid. Instead, it has deliberately created “genocidal” conditions that make life impossible by preventing the entry of spare parts and oils for generators—which have begun to fail after two and a half years of operation—while electricity remains cut off by political decision despite the power plant’s readiness.
He also pointed out that the Strip is suffering from an unprecedented infestation of fleas and rodents, while the occupation prevents the entry of pest control materials, obstructs waste transfer, and causes sewage treatment plants to stop, alongside a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies that directly impact human lives.
International Complicity and Impotence
Zaqout harshly criticized the international role, describing it as “complicit or impotent,” specifically mentioning the guarantor states. He pointed to the inability of the Arab and Islamic countries that signed the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement to compel the occupation to meet minimum humanitarian commitments.
He added that the European Union settles for statements of rejection, while the “German Veto” prevents the termination of the commercial partnership with the occupation. This strips the statements of their practical value and prevents the adoption of punitive measures under the Union’s own laws.
“The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide mandates every state party to prevent these crimes and hold perpetrators accountable, yet we are witnessing a collective abandonment of legal and moral obligations,” Zaqout continued. He stressed that the core goal of the occupation is to push the residents of Gaza toward the absolute conviction that “there is no life in Gaza,” leaving displacement as the only remaining path.
He affirmed that Zionist extremists have not retreated from the dream of “cleansing Gaza of its inhabitants,” calling on all Palestinian, Arab, and international parties to take effective action to stop this expansion, open the crossings, and end the siege before the chapters of the ethnic cleansing crime are completed.
11% New Addition
In turn, Thair Abu Atiwi, Director of the Arab Center for Research and Studies in Palestine, stated that Israeli maps sent to international relief organizations in the Gaza Strip revealed the creation of the “Orange Line.” This line extends beyond the scope of the Yellow Line to add approximately 11% of the Strip’s area under Israeli military control.
He explained that the Orange Line is creeping westward, placing vast areas that were outside the Yellow Line under Israeli influence. He clarified that the Yellow Line already carves out about 54% of the total area of the Gaza Strip; with the addition of the new Orange Line, 60% of the Strip’s area becomes entirely subject to Israeli control.
The Director of the Arab Center added that the occupation’s practices aimed at military control over more than two-thirds of the Strip’s area constitute a flagrant violation and a clear breach of all international norms and conventions. He considered this measure part of Israeli plans clearly aimed at pushing the Strip’s residents toward forced migration.
Abu Atiwi stressed that the seizure of citizens’ lands through the paths of the Yellow and Orange lines represents a departure from the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement and a violation of the Trump Plan for the Gaza Peace Council.
He called on the international community to act urgently to stop the ongoing Israeli violations, primarily by stopping the war and implementing the second transitional phase of the international plan, which guarantees full withdrawal from all territories of the Gaza Strip.
YPA