IDF Expands Gaza Control to 64% With New 34-Sq-Km Orange Line
Updated
Updated · Israel Hayom · May 12
IDF Expands Gaza Control to 64% With New 34-Sq-Km Orange Line
4 articles · Updated · Israel Hayom · May 12
Israel has widened its Gaza security zone by 34 square kilometers, with a senior Western diplomat saying the IDF now controls 64% of the enclave after recent advances.
The new "orange line" replaced the narrower "yellow line" after Hamas missed a disarmament deadline and violated understandings, with the move approved by the Board of Peace, the diplomat said.
Palestinian officials reported intensive engineering work along the new boundary to flatten infrastructure, shrinking Hamas-held space and entrenching a security layout that complicates reconstruction.
Washington, which had explored alternative postwar arrangements for Gaza, now appears not to oppose the expanded zones as diplomatic efforts stall and Hamas refuses to disarm.
The shift signals Israel is moving from rhetoric about "total victory" toward a strategy of creating durable facts on the ground while Hamas retains military power.
As Israel's 'Orange Line' expands, is the US-led peace plan simply managing a forever conflict?
Is Israel's new security line in Gaza a temporary measure or a permanent redrawing of the map?
Is this new buffer zone creating security or a deeper humanitarian crisis for Gaza's population?
The 2026 Gaza “Orange Line”: Israeli Territorial Expansion, Civilian Impact, and Global Legal Repercussions
Overview
In May 2026, Israel expanded its control in Gaza by establishing the 'orange line,' marking a major shift from its earlier goal of 'total victory' to a strategy focused on creating facts on the ground and deepening control. This move was driven by Israel’s assessment that Hamas retained military power and failed to meet its obligations, prompting Israeli officials to justify continued operations and territorial expansion. As a result, the situation on the ground was reassessed, leading to new boundaries that have intensified humanitarian challenges and drawn strong international criticism, while making prospects for peace and a future Palestinian state more uncertain.