Israel orders troops to halt Gaza advance after Kushner meeting

Israeli forces in Gaza received formal orders Monday not to expand their "Yellow Line" westward, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported, marking the first time troops had been instructed to halt their advance since the ceasefire took effect last October.trtworld+1

The orders came after a roughly four-hour meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, the US envoy and President Trump's son-in-law, as Washington presses Israel to move forward with phase two of its Gaza plan.wsls+1

Kushner's Shuttle Diplomacy

Kushner arrived in Israel on Sunday evening from Egypt, where he spent over two hours meeting with Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Hamas leader demanded Israel halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the original Yellow Line before beginning implementation of the next phase, according to the Associated Press.wsls

The Yellow Line refers to the dividing line established under Trump's plan, which originally allocated slightly more than half of Gaza to Israeli military control. Israeli forces have since advanced beyond that line and now control roughly 60 to 64 percent of the territory, according to multiple reports. In May, Netanyahu said Israel's next step was to move to 70 percent control.latimes+1

Ceasefire Violations and Stalled Negotiations

Separately, the Israeli military confirmed overnight Sunday that Hamas violated the ceasefire when an explosive device detonated within the Yellow Line buffer zone in northern Gaza. Militants also opened fire toward the area, according to an IDF spokesperson. Israeli forces conducted retaliatory strikes but reported no injuries.jfeed

The core dispute remains unresolved: Netanyahu demands that Hamas fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal, while Hamas says it will surrender weapons only alongside a phased Israeli pullback. Netanyahu has rejected a 15-point US-backed roadmap calling for parallel implementation, though the marathon meeting Monday reportedly produced some optimism without a firm agreement.trtworld+1

Growing Pressure

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that Israel's expansion of the Yellow Line has displaced thousands of Palestinian families, with some uprooted multiple times. Gaza's Health Ministry says 1,262 Palestinians have been killed and 4,168 wounded since the ceasefire began.latimes+1

Mediators continue efforts to bridge the gap between the two sides, with the US-backed Board of Peace and Netanyahu agreeing to form two committees to address implementation, according to KAN.trtworld