DaysofPal – Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that Israel is systematically expanding its violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement through the escalation of civilian killings and the eastward displacement of the so-called “yellow line” in Khan Younis, warning that these actions signal further forced displacement of Palestinians.
In a statement released by the movement, Qassem said Israel is intensifying its breach of the ceasefire by increasing lethal operations against civilians and by altering the agreed military redeployment lines in southern Gaza. He described the shift of the yellow line as a deliberate step toward “more displacement,” directly contradicting the terms of the truce.
Qassem further stated that Israeli forces have significantly escalated the demolition of homes across the eastern half of the Gaza Strip, calling it a continuation of “urban annihilation and a fully fledged policy of ethnic cleansing.”
The statement pointed out that Israel continues to keep the Rafah crossing closed and restricts the entry of humanitarian aid despite explicit provisions in the ceasefire agreement requiring unhindered access.
Qassem stressed that these actions represent a deliberate and systematic policy aimed at undermining the agreement approved and signed by all parties during the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting.
He urged mediators, guarantor states, and all parties involved in the Sharm el-Sheikh talks to exert pressure on Israel to halt the violations and fully implement its obligations under the ceasefire framework.
The “yellow line” in Gaza refers to the position to which Israeli forces withdrew on October 10 under the ceasefire terms. Under this arrangement, Israel maintains control over approximately 53 percent of Gaza’s territory, most of it outside residential areas, pending the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire plan.
Reliable local reports indicate that more than 420 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, including 151 children and 60 women, with at least 1,184 others wounded.
Most of the casualties occurred within or near the yellow line area, where Israeli forces have continued daily violations, including direct sniper fire, armed quadcopter drone attacks, and artillery shelling. These patterns, the reports note, point to the systematic use of lethal force against civilians rather than isolated or exceptional incidents.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights has also documented repeated Israeli expansions of areas under military control within the yellow line. According to its field teams, the proportion of land under Israeli control has increased from 53 percent to more than 60 percent over the past three weeks, as Israeli forces move the yellow concrete barriers that mark the boundary and prohibit Palestinian access beyond it.
The center further reported the continued, methodical demolition and bulldozing of remaining civilian homes and properties within the yellow line. Entire residential neighborhoods, or what remains of them, are being destroyed under a clear policy to impose a new demographic and security reality, one designed to prevent residents from returning to their original areas and constituting a crime of forcible transfer prohibited under international law.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=71036
