Israeli forces have been moving an agreed truce line in Gaza westwards over the six months since the ceasefire, expanding their zone of control and making the state of limbo ever more dangerous for Palestinians.<\/p>\n
The \u201cyellow line\u201d<\/a> agreed in the US-brokered ceasefire in October was supposed to be temporary pending further Israeli withdrawals, but the partially observed truce has stalled after its first phase amid disagreements over the disarming of Hamas, and continued Israeli bombardment of Gaza.<\/p>\n Since then, the yellow line has crept forward in several places, expanding the army-controlled area well beyond the 53% of Gaza territory implied in the original ceasefire maps. According to the research agency Forensic Architecture<\/a>, by December Israel had taken 58% of the strip and continued to edge forwards.<\/p>\n Yellow line map<\/a><\/p>\n The line is marked in some places by yellow concrete blocks, many of which were moved in December and January as the army took more territory, particularly in urban areas. All over Gaza<\/a>, residents awoke to find the line had moved overnight and they were suddenly in a free-fire zone.<\/p>\n \u201cThe yellow line has advanced several times,\u201d said Faiq al-Sakani, 37, in al-Tuffah. He said the line moved 100 metres in January, reaching al-Sanafour roundabout near the Salah al-Din road, the main route running north-south through the strip.<\/p>\n Al-Tuffah map<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cDuring these advances, displaced people who had been staying near Salah al-Din Street were targeted,\u201d he said. In recent days, he added, there had been a significant uptick in demolitions, excavations and new buildings by the army, along with constant heavy gunfire in the area.<\/p>\n The army has also extended a chain of earth berms \u2013 raised areas of land \u2013 along the line, dominating neighbourhoods and giving tank gunners and snipers a line of sight over large tracts of ruined Palestinian cities. More than 10 miles of berms have been erected already, according to Haaretz<\/a>, mostly in the north, but bulldozers have started putting up new earthworks in Gaza City and Khan Younis.<\/p>\n Jabaliya map<\/a><\/p>\n Adding to the growing sense of permanence around the yellow line, the military has been building an expanding array of fortified outposts. Seven new concrete forts have been built in recent months, bringing the total across the strip to 32. All of the new construction has been along the yellow line.<\/p>\n As these physical markers have moved westwards, so too has an unmarked zone in which any Palestinian person or vehicle is considered a threat and a legitimate target.<\/p>\n Aid organisations working in Gaza said they were told by Israeli liaison officers that the edge of this zone was the \u201corange line\u201d and they had to coordinate their operations with the military if they crossed it. But the orange line existed only on maps. It was never marked and its distance from the yellow line appears to vary from 200 to 500 metres, according to the Israeli army unit deployed there.<\/p>\n When the yellow line moves, many Palestinians find that rather than them crossing the orange line, the orange line has crossed them. The UN reported in March<\/a> that it had been informed that the orange line had moved forward and 10 UN facilities were now on the wrong side of it, including emergency shelters for displaced people.<\/p>\n Ahmad Ibsais, a Palestinian-American legal scholar and commentator, argued that the real motive lurking behind the yellow line and all associated security arrangements was to drive out the Palestinian population. Writing on the website of Al-Shabaka<\/a>, a thinktank, Ibsais described it as \u201ca method of annexation deliberately designed to evade legal consequences\u201d.<\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have defended their actions along the yellow line by arguing that their soldiers have the right to protect themselves from perceived imminent threats in a tense environment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe IDF is working to visually mark the yellow line, in accordance with terrain conditions and the continuously updated operational assessment,\u201d an Israeli military spokesperson said. \u201cAs part of these efforts, the IDF informs the local population in Gaza of the line\u2019s location and works to mark it on the ground in order to reduce friction and prevent misunderstandings.<\/p>\n \u201cThe area adjacent to the yellow line is a sensitive and dangerous operational environment. Signs are posted in the area indicating that it is forbidden to approach it. It should be emphasised that the IDF does not operate against civilians and does not target civilians solely due to their proximity to the line.\u201d<\/p>\n People in Gaza City set out for areas they consider safer after the Israeli army moved the yellow line in November. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n