Israeli occupation expands ‘Yellow Line’ buffer zone across multiple sectors in Gaza Strip

GAZA, June 27 (YPA) – Israeli occupation forces have expanded the boundaries of the so-called “Yellow Line” buffer zone in the central Gaza Strip, advancing concrete barriers further into the eastern outskirts of Deir al-Balah, local sources and eyewitnesses reported on Saturday.

According to local accounts, Israeli military vehicles deployed additional yellow-marked concrete blocks overnight, pushing the perimeter toward the Al-Tawashi roundabout on Al-Sultan Street in eastern Deir al-Balah. The move is part of a series of steady advancements over recent weeks aimed at widening the designated “Yellow Zone,” effectively restricting Palestinian movement and compressing the population further westward toward the coast.

The developments in central Gaza follow similar territorial reconfigurations in the northern sector. Last week, the Israeli military expanded the “Yellow Line” in the Beit Lahia housing project, moving the yellow barriers southward and westward. Local Palestinian sources reported that the newly established line now stands less than 50 meters from the perimeter of the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

Earlier this month, a similar expansion was executed in eastern Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood. In a late-night operation, military vehicles positioned concrete blocks along Salah al-Din Street, stretching from the Al-Sanafour intersection to the vicinity of the Al-Tuffah pharmacy. The maneuver officially designated the area, along with all territory extending north and east toward the border fence, as part of the Israeli-controlled “Yellow Zone.”

The ongoing expansion of these zones continues to alter the field geography of the Gaza Strip, raising concerns among local residents and humanitarian organizations over the shrinking space available for displaced populations and the proximity of military perimeters to critical healthcare infrastructure.

YPA