DaysofPal- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has warned that Israeli forces are intensifying the destruction of what remains of Gaza’s residential neighborhoods while simultaneously expanding their territorial control, raising concerns about efforts to establish long-term facts on the ground and create conditions that could lead to the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.
In a statement, the rights group said its researchers had documented a significant escalation in recent days in the demolition of homes, civilian facilities, and infrastructure within the area known as the “Yellow Line,” a military-controlled zone that now encompasses more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.
According to the center, the expansion of this zone has further reduced the remaining habitable area to less than 30 percent of Gaza’s territory, where more than two million Palestinians are crowded into extremely harsh humanitarian conditions. The group noted that no safe areas remain and that large numbers of residents are living in temporary shelters and tents.
Demographic and Geographic Alterations
The statement also highlighted recent remarks by Israeli officials expressing intentions to maintain a long-term presence inside Gaza, preserve a broad security zone, and potentially establish future settlement blocs in the northern part of the territory.
PCHR said such statements suggest a direct connection between ongoing military operations and policies aimed at creating permanent demographic and geographic changes, including land appropriation and preventing displaced residents from returning to their homes.
As part of the latest incidents documented by the organization, a resident of the Maghazi refugee camp reportedly received a phone call from Israeli forces on the evening of June 11, 2026, instructing him to notify residents of a residential block to evacuate.
Hours later, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes that completely destroyed several homes and caused extensive damage to dozens of neighboring houses. The attacks reportedly displaced numerous families and damaged humanitarian and service facilities, including warehouses, aid infrastructure, and a mosque.
In a separate incident in Deir al-Balah, residents living near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital received similar evacuation warnings before an Israeli airstrike targeted agricultural land located within a densely populated residential area. The strike left a large crater and caused significant damage to nearby homes and infrastructure, triggering another wave of displacement among local residents.
Meanwhile, in Gaza City, Israeli occupation forces reportedly moved the “Yellow Line” more than 100 meters westward in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, extending their area of control by over 300 meters and prompting additional civilian displacement.
The rights group also reported that Israeli drones targeted civilian gatherings in various parts of Gaza in recent days, resulting in casualties, including children, and injuries to civilians, among them medical personnel. Many of the attacks reportedly occurred in areas densely populated by displaced families, exacerbating fear and forcing more residents to flee.
Legal Responsibility and Calls for Action
PCHR stressed that phone calls warning residents before bombardments do not provide legal justification for the destruction that follows. The organization argued that such warnings form part of a broader pattern of targeting civilian objects and imposing coercive conditions on the population and therefore do not absolve Israeli forces of legal responsibility for alleged violations.
According to the center, the simultaneous escalation in the destruction of residential blocks, the expansion of buffer zones, and attacks affecting civilians points to a comprehensive Israeli policy aimed at reshaping Gaza’s demographic and geographic landscape.
The organization said these measures impose increasingly unbearable living conditions that encourage forced displacement and prevent displaced residents from returning, as part of a process that has continued for more than 32 months.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights renewed its call for urgent international action to halt ongoing violations, ensure protection for civilians, and hold those responsible for alleged crimes accountable, emphasizing the need to prevent impunity and uphold international law.
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