Key facts
- Israel's 'yellow line' buffer zone in Gaza has expanded to cover 70% of the territory.
- Palestinians are experiencing repeated displacements, with some displaced over 25 times since October 2023.
- Residents report destruction of homes, lack of basic amenities, and ongoing gunfire even after a ceasefire.
- Analysts view the expansion as a strategy to make areas uninhabitable and justify reoccupation.
- Gaza's water infrastructure is devastated, with significant loss of water sources and destruction of networks.
- Accumulated waste due to blocked landfill access poses a major environmental and public health crisis.
Palestinians in Gaza are facing continuous displacement as Israel expands its 'yellow line' buffer zone, which now covers 70 percent of the territory. Jamal Abu Sukran, a resident, has been displaced 25 times since October 2023, losing his home in Shujaiya and moving between camps as Israeli offensives advance.
Despite a ceasefire, residents report persistent gunfire and shelling, making life in displacement camps unbearable. Abu Sukran described waiting for shooting to stop to perform basic daily tasks. His temporary dwelling eventually fell into the 'orange line,' an area Israel expanded into after the ceasefire, characterized by random shootings and destruction.
Nabil Abu Armanah, another resident, found his land, where he had pitched a tent on the ruins of his second destroyed home, now bisected by the expanded yellow line. He expressed despair over being homeless and the loss of his land, stating, 'The land means everything to me.'
Political analyst Abdel Nasser Abu Aoun suggests Israel is using the 'yellow line' narrative to justify reoccupation and is implementing a scorched-earth policy to depopulate areas, committing war crimes. He noted the introduction of an 'orange line' to annex further territory and the establishment of military observation posts overlooking destroyed homes as psychological warfare.
Maher Salem, from Gaza municipality, detailed the devastation of water and sanitation systems. Approximately 35 percent of Gaza City's water sources are lost within the yellow line, and water supplies have been reduced, leading to severe shortages. Around 150 kilometers of water infrastructure, sewage pumps, and sanitation networks have been destroyed. Access to the main landfill sites, located within the yellow line, has been prevented, causing an accumulation of 400,000 cubic meters of garbage and creating a significant environmental and public health crisis.