TUBAS, West Bank — 

The Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ) said Israeli authorities have advanced new phases of a project known as the “Crimson Line” in the Jordan Valley by issuing six additional military orders aimed at expanding control over Palestinian land and further isolating it, in a move that reinforces settlement activity in the eastern occupied West Bank.

The institute said the new orders, issued on 8 July 2026 under the pretext of land seizure for “military purposes”, target the confiscation of approximately 498 dunams of land from the towns of Tubas and Tayasir. The new segment of the project stretches for about 9.9 kilometres.

According to ARIJ, the orders also require the removal of all trees and vegetation in the targeted areas within seven days, threatening the natural landscape in addition to cutting off farmers’ access to their land.

The measures follow earlier military orders issued in October 2025, which targeted around 1,043 dunams in the governorates of Tubas and Nablus. This brings the total land affected by the project to about 1,541 dunams, with an overall route extending roughly 29 kilometres from the village of Ein Shibli to Ibziq.

ARIJ said the new route begins south of Al-Aqaba village and extends northwards through Tayasir to Ibziq, reflecting a continued expansion of the project across the Jordan Valley.

The institute warned that the six new orders could lead to the isolation of around 70,000 additional dunams, mainly in Tubas, much of which is designated by Israel as closed military zones or nature reserves. Combined with about 48,000 dunams already affected, the total area at risk of isolation rises to nearly 118,000 dunams.

The report warned that the measures would impact hundreds of Palestinian families by restricting access to agricultural land and livelihoods, while undermining prospects for agricultural and economic development in the area.