Israeli Defense Forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor to the yellow line between 3:15 AM and 6:15 AM UTC on February 23, 2026, opening the corridor for free movement between northern and southern Gaza Strip and enabling land recultivation west of the line, according to an X post by @BenTzionMacales. The withdrawal facilitated the establishment of the large displaced persons camp 'Red Gaza' with Egyptian funding in the corridor, as previously reported. Agricultural plots increased throughout the area west of the yellow line, with lands previously dried up over two years now showing signs of crops, evidenced by video comparisons from shortly after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire through recent months, per the X post. Villages of Al-Mughraqa and Al-Zahra, completely destroyed, saw their surrounding lands reused for agriculture following the IDF pullback, the post stated. These developments indicate rehabilitation efforts in the central Gaza Strip amid the post-ceasefire period.
