DaysofPal— Residents of the eastern Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City awoke to a new reality after one of the most intense nights the Gazans had lived since the ceasefire began, as Israeli forces advanced deeper into the area under heavy fire.
According to local accounts, military units pushed the boundary known locally as the “yellow line” approximately 100 meters westward, reaching Salah al-Din Street.
The advance was accompanied by sustained artillery shelling and heavy gunfire that lasted for hours, forcing dozens of families to flee after suddenly finding themselves within a direct military zone.
The latest movement is part of a series of repeated advances since the ceasefire took effect. Field estimates suggest the line has shifted westward four times, covering roughly 500 meters in total. This has significantly reduced the living space available to residents and heightened fears of further displacement waves.
Families living near the area described a night of terror as bombardment and gunfire intensified. One resident said his family remained confined to a single room throughout the night, unable to leave due to the intensity of the fighting and the proximity of military vehicles.
“We don’t know where we will go,” he said while preparing to evacuate. “We thought the forces would withdraw by morning, but instead they advanced closer to our homes.”
Another resident and journalist said that military vehicles and bulldozers moved forward late at night under the cover of heavy shelling, and by morning, residents discovered the line had advanced significantly.
He added that the boundary had previously been located further east but had gradually moved closer to central roads in recent weeks.
The latest advance forced dozens of families to flee, while hundreds more remain living along the new boundary in a state of fear and uncertainty.
Residents say the area is becoming increasingly uninhabitable due to repeated shelling, gunfire directed toward homes, and explosions caused by devices placed among buildings. These conditions have raised concerns that further advances could occur.
While some families remain due to a lack of alternatives, others have already left. In one case, an extended family of around 30 people from several households was forced to evacuate. Nearby, more than 100 people are still living in homes adjacent to the newly expanded zone.
Images circulating online show houses that were previously outside the boundary now falling within it, raising fears they could be targeted or destroyed. Footage also shows families fleeing with their belongings in search of safer areas.
Local estimates indicate that current boundary lines are confining Palestinians to roughly 40 percent of the Gaza Strip’s total area, worsening overcrowding and displacement.
Security analysts say the developments are part of a broader strategy to establish new facts on the ground by gradually expanding control zones in eastern Gaza City.
An expert on military affairs said the repeated advances reflect an ongoing effort to push the boundary westward and turn additional areas into high-risk zones, restricting civilian movement and creating conditions that may be difficult to reverse.
He added that such measures could provide leverage in any future negotiations, particularly regarding withdrawal arrangements and security frameworks.
The analyst also noted that control may not necessarily depend on permanent troop deployment but rather on creating a security environment that makes movement in these areas dangerous.
He pointed to expanding surveillance points, local cooperation networks, and evolving military positioning as indicators of efforts to consolidate control and prepare for potential future operations.
He concluded that the impact extends beyond the immediate areas under direct control, contributing to new waves of displacement and increasing humanitarian pressure, as fragile ceasefire conditions are used to establish incremental changes without large-scale military offensives.
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