David Makovsky, the director of the Program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy, revealed on Tuesday that Israel has quietly withdrawn from the “Orange Line” in Gaza, under which Israel controlled about 60% of Gaza.

“Israeli sources say that, in compliance with President Trump’s wishes, Israel has quietly withdrawn in recent weeks from the so-called Orange Line in Gaza to the original Yellow Line stipulated in last October’s ceasefire deal,” Makovsky wrote.

“Under that deal, Israel controls 53% of Gaza. But in an effort to limit Hamas’s room to maneuver, Israel had subsequently extended its control to more than 60%, creating what became known as the Orange Line. (PM Netanyahu has put the figure closer to 70%, but this appears to have been an overstatement.)

“With Israel now in an election season, Netanyahu has sought to emphasize points of difference with Trump over Gaza to placate his political base. In a video to supporters, he declared that Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas completely disarms.

“Nor has Netanyahu publicly acknowledged his willingness—in compliance with Trump’s wishes—to refrain from strikes against Hamas beyond the Yellow Line absent an imminent threat, apparently believing such restraint would be politically unpopular.”

The report follows a previous report by Kan News on Monday evening that IDF troops in the Gaza Strip have been officially instructed not to push the Yellow Line any further west, marking a significant shift after months in which Israeli forces gradually moved the line westward and expanded their control to nearly two-thirds of the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, troops have been instructed to document every Hamas violation of the ceasefire agreement, using their personal phones if necessary.

According to Kan, the new directive was issued following a meeting Monday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner, and Gaza Peace Council Director-General Nikolay Mladenov.

The four-hour meeting took place amid U.S. pressure to advance the implementation of Phase II of Trump’s plan. Kushner and Mladenov subsequently met with President Isaac Herzog.

The original Yellow Line, established under Trump’s 20-point plan last September, left Israel in control of slightly more than half of the Gaza Strip. In the months since, Israeli forces steadily pushed the line westward, bringing nearly two-thirds of the territory under Israeli control.

The latest directive marks the first time the IDF has been ordered to halt that westward expansion.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)