IDF Ordered to Halt Westward Expansion of Gaza's Yellow Line After Netanyahu-Kushner Meeting

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been officially instructed not to push the so-called "yellow line" in Gaza further west, according to a report from Kan News on Monday evening. This directive came following a meeting earlier that day between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's envoy, and Nikolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. The meeting lasted about four hours amid increasing American pressure on Israel to advance to phase two of the Trump administration's Gaza plan. Afterward, Mladenov and Kushner met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

In addition to halting territorial expansion, IDF soldiers were ordered to document any violations by Hamas, including using their personal phones if necessary. The "yellow line" refers to the boundary established in the Trump administration's 20-point plan presented in September 2020, which left Israel control over just over half of Gaza's territory. However, in recent months, the IDF had pushed this line further west, effectively controlling nearly two-thirds of Gaza. This new order marks the first time the military has been told to stop this advance.

The context of the meeting and the directive reflects ongoing diplomatic efforts to implement the next stage of the Trump peace plan for Gaza. Hamas has reportedly demanded recognition of its survival as a political movement as a condition for moving forward with the plan. Separately, African military officers recently visited the U.S. command center in Kiryat Gat, indicating broader international military engagement in the region.