Israel Introduces 'Orange Line' Expanding Control to ~62% of Gaza; EU Rejects Move, UN Security Council Debates

Israeli military authorities introduced a new restricted zone designation — referred to by humanitarian teams as the 'orange line' — that extends Israeli territorial control beyond the original Yellow Line ceasefire boundary established in October 2025. UN officials confirmed during Security Council proceedings on May 5–6 that Israel had unilaterally introduced the new boundary, requiring advance coordination for humanitarian operations in the expanded zone. Hamas claimed the orange line brought Israeli forces to controlling approximately 62% of the Gaza Strip, up from ~53% under the original Yellow Line ceasefire framework. The European Union rejected the orange line expansion, calling it a violation of the October 2025 ceasefire. The UN Deputy Special Coordinator called for consolidating the ceasefire and halting escalating violence, while warning the expanded territorial control was creating fresh displacement pressures on over 2 million people. New displacement waves were reported in Khan Yunis, eastern Gaza City, and northern Gaza. The move was widely seen as a de facto territorial advance even as formal ceasefire negotiations remained nominally ongoing.