Gaza Herald – Israeli occupation forces are escalating the detonation of what remains of homes and residential blocks across the Gaza Strip while expanding their field control by pushing forward the so-called “yellow line” east of Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR). The organization says these developments are creating new realities on the ground that point toward long-term Israeli presence and increasing pressure on Palestinians to leave their homes.
In a statement released on Saturday, the rights group said its researchers had documented a significant increase in the demolition of homes, civilian facilities, and infrastructure within areas now incorporated into the expanded “yellow line,” which it estimates covers more than 60% of Gaza’s territory.
The center noted that this expansion is occurring while the remaining area available to civilians has shrunk to less than 30% of the Strip, where more than two million Palestinians are crowded into extremely harsh humanitarian conditions, with no safe zones and widespread dependence on tents for shelter.
According to the statement, these developments coincide with public remarks by Israeli officials expressing intentions to maintain a long-term presence inside Gaza, preserve a broad security zone, and potentially establish future settlements in northern Gaza.
The organization argued that such statements suggest a direct link between military attacks on the ground and policies aimed at creating permanent demographic and geographic changes, including land seizure and preventing displaced residents from returning to their homes.
Among the incidents documented by the center was an evacuation warning issued on June 11 to residents of a residential block in the Maghazi refugee camp. Hours later, Israeli aircraft reportedly carried out repeated airstrikes that completely destroyed several homes and damaged dozens of neighboring buildings, forcing numerous families to flee. Humanitarian and service facilities, including aid warehouses and a mosque, were also affected.
In a separate incident in Deir al-Balah, residents living near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital received a similar warning before an Israeli airstrike targeted agricultural land located within a densely populated residential area. The strike reportedly left a large crater and caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, triggering another wave of displacement.
The center also reported that Israeli occupation forces moved the “yellow line” deeper into Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood by more than 100 meters westward across an area extending over 300 meters, expanding military control and prompting additional civilian displacement.
In recent days, Israeli drones have also targeted civilian gatherings in different parts of Gaza, according to the organization. The attacks reportedly killed and injured civilians, including children and medical personnel, in areas densely populated by displaced families, further increasing fear and forcing more residents to relocate.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights stressed that phone calls warning residents before attacks do not provide legal justification for the destruction that follows. Instead, it said such warnings reflect a systematic pattern targeting civilian objects and imposing coercive conditions on the population.
The organization concluded that the simultaneous escalation in the destruction of residential neighborhoods, expansion of buffer zones, and attacks on civilians point to a broader Israeli policy aimed at reshaping Gaza’s demographic and geographic reality through conditions that encourage forced displacement and prevent return.
The center renewed calls for urgent international action to halt violations, protect civilians, and ensure accountability for those responsible, emphasizing the need to prevent impunity for violations of international law.
