Israel advances the “Crimson Line” Project and the Isolation of additional Palestinian Land in the occupied West Bank

Nine months after the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) issued a series of military orders to establish what has become known among local Palestinians as the “Crimson Line” in the Jordan Valley, the IOA have moved forward with the next phase of the project by issuing six other military orders. These orders aim to construct additional sections of the “Crimson Line,” further expanding Israel’s control over Palestinian land and deepening the isolation of the Jordan Valley from its Palestinian land-owners.

The new Israeli military orders will result in the seizure and isolation of additional areas of Palestinian land, beyond those targeted back in November 2025. This will deprive dozens—or, hundreds—of Palestinian families of access to their agricultural lands and sources of livelihood. Furthermore, these orders will impose new facts on the ground, deepen the suffering of Palestinians living in the area, and undermine prospects for agricultural and economic development.

The new military orders were issued on 8 July 2026 under the title, “Order Concerning the Seizure of Land (Judea and Samaria), 5785–2025/2026,” purportedly for “military purposes.” The orders further require that all vegetation and trees within the targeted areas be removed within seven days from the date the orders take effect, thereby targeting the area’s natural vegetation in addition to the isolation of Palestinian land.

According to the new military orders, approximately 498 dunums of land belonging to the communities of Tubas and Tayasir in Tubas Governorate will be seized. The newly designated section of the “Crimson Line” will extend for approximately 9.9 kilometers. Table (1) below provides details of the Israeli military orders issued in Tubas Governorate to advance the construction of new sections of the “Crimson Line” project.

Laying the Groundwork for the “Crimson Line” Project

On the 21^st of October 2025, Palestinians of Tubas and Nablus Governorates in the northern occupied West Bank received nine Israeli military orders targeting vast areas of Palestinian land. Collectively, these orders affected 1,043 dunums of land belonging to Tubas, Tammun, and Tayasir communities in Tubas Governorate in the northern West Bank, in addition to other areas belonging to the village of Taluza in Nablus Governorate.

As a result, the total area designated for seizure under all of the issued military orders (October 2025 and July 2026) is 1,541 dunums, while the overall length of the “Crimson Line”—stretching from the village of Ein Shibli to the village of Ibziq— is approximately 29 km.

Table 2. Summary of the Israeli Military Orders Issued for the construction of the “Crimson Line” Project

Under the new military orders, the route of the new “Crimson Line” section will begin south of the village of Al-‘Aqaba, then extends northward through the village of Tayaseer before reaching the village of Ibziq. This reflects the continued implementation of Israel’s policy of expanding the “Crimson Line” project, further isolating Palestinian land in the Jordan Valley and reinforcing Israeli control over the area.

The six new Israeli military orders will also result in the isolation of approximately 70,000 dunums of Palestinian land, primarily in Tubas Governorate. The targeted areas are also designated as “Israeli nature reserves” and “closed military zones” according to the Israeli classifications.

This area is in addition to the approximately 48,000 dunums seized back in October 2025, bring the total area of Palestinian land to be isolated under all of the military orders to 118,000 dunums. This reflects Israel’s ongoing policy of creating settlement facts on the ground, particularly in the Jordan Valley, by further consolidating its control over the area (Map 1).  

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem