Israel Plans To Widen Gaza’s ‘Yellow Line,’ Shrinking Available Living Space For Palestinians

GAZA CITY, June 5 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- With Israel signalling plans to expand the areas it controls in Gaza to 70 per cent of the enclave, Palestinians living near the so-called “yellow line” say the shrinking space left for civilians is becoming increasingly unlivable, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

The “yellow line” marks the boundary separating areas under Israeli military control in eastern Gaza from zones where Palestinians are still allowed to move farther west.

Last Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that the Israeli army controls around 60 per cent of Gaza’s territory and revealed plans to expand that figure to 70 per cent.

Since Oct. 20 last year, Israel has placed yellow concrete blocks along the line, which emerged following the first Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza under a ceasefire agreement that took effect earlier that month.

Near the line east of Khan Younis, residents say Israeli tanks, bulldozers and near-daily gunfire have transformed life into a constant struggle for survival.

“There is nowhere left to go. People are already trapped in an extremely small area,” Palestinian resident Abdullah al-Astal told Anadolu.

Al-Astal, who lives close to the line, said Israeli tanks regularly escort bulldozers demolishing homes in nearby areas, while gunfire from military vehicles and drones rarely stops.

“At any moment, we could be hit or killed,” he said, pointing to nearby homes whose residents were wounded by Israeli fire.

Residents and displaced Palestinians fear that any further expansion of the line would leave hundreds of thousands of civilians confined to even smaller and more overcrowded areas after repeated waves of displacement.

“If the yellow line expands further, where will people go? There is no safe place left in Gaza,” said al-Astal.

In Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, Palestinian resident Hamdi Malaka expressed similar concerns.

“If they want to occupy all of Gaza, they should say it clearly instead of talking about yellow and red lines,” he told Anadolu.

Malaka said his neighbourhood has already suffered widespread destruction during the war, with collapsed homes and piles of rubble surrounding residential areas.

“We are already close to the yellow line. If it moves further, we will end up inside it,” he said.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians continue to live in overcrowded displacement areas suffering severe shortages of food, water and healthcare services.

Residents warn that any further reduction of civilian areas would trigger new waves of displacement and place even greater pressure on Gaza’s collapsing infrastructure

Last week, the Palestinian group Hamas called on the “Peace Council” to take a clear position regarding Israeli statements about plans to control 70 per cent of Gaza’s territory.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, the Israeli army has killed 947 Palestinians and injured 2,935 in near-daily attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU