The Israeli military has systematically expanded the so-called 'yellow line' in eastern Gaza, particularly through Gaza City's Tuffah, Shujayea, and Zeitoun neighborhoods, squeezing Palestinians into increasingly smaller areas and advancing closer to the critical Salah al-Din Street corridor.
Israel now physically occupies more than 50 percent of the Gaza Strip, representing a significant expansion of territory under direct military control despite official ceasefire agreements intended to reduce hostilities and allow humanitarian access.
Despite the nominal ceasefire, Israeli attacks have killed at least 414-420 Palestinians since the ceasefire supposedly took effect, according to local health authorities. This death toll raises fundamental questions about the ceasefire's practical meaning and whether it represents genuine peace or merely reduced intensity of military operations.
The expansion of the 'yellow line'—a designation used to demarcate areas under Israeli military control—has progressively pushed Palestinian residents into smaller zones, creating severe overcrowding and complicating humanitarian aid delivery. The strategic location of these expanded zones near Salah al-Din Street, Gaza's main north-south artery, gives Israel control over critical infrastructure and movement corridors.
Humanitarian organizations report that the territorial expansion, combined with ongoing security operations, severely restricts aid distribution and civilian movement. Areas under Israeli control become inaccessible to humanitarian workers, while overcrowding in remaining zones strains already limited resources including water, food, and medical supplies.
International observers have criticized the ongoing occupation expansion as violating ceasefire terms and complicating prospects for longer-term peace negotiations. The physical reality of expanded Israeli control creates facts on the ground that will shape any future political settlement.