OCHA: Access restrictions cover 65% of Gaza Strip — Al Jazeera
In the Gaza Strip, access restrictions cover 65% of the territory, while 2.1 million people are confined to approximately 35% of the enclave’s area. On Sunday, the Israeli military moved yellow concrete blocks marking the so-called yellow line dozens of meters westward in the Shujaiya area in southeastern Gaza City. This forced Palestinian families to leave the area, Al Jazeera reports.
Shifting of the yellow line
The yellow line defined the area to which Israeli forces initially withdrew as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point plan to end the war. The plan provided for further gradual troop withdrawals. At the start of the ceasefire, Israel controlled 53% of the Gaza Strip’s territory, while Palestinians were left with 47% — about 172 square kilometers.
According to the outlet, Israeli forces repeatedly moved the concrete markers westward, sometimes at night, expanding the areas under their control. In December, the research group Forensic Architecture estimated the share of Gaza’s territory controlled by Israel at 58%. In March, the Israeli army provided humanitarian organizations with maps of a new “orange line” — a restricted-access zone beyond the yellow line, where humanitarian movements must be coordinated with the military.
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Overcrowding and destruction
According to Al Jazeera, in the approximately 128 square kilometers where Gaza’s residents are located, population density has reached about 16,000 people per square kilometer. On average, about 61 square meters per person are available for housing, roads, schools, hospitals and agricultural land. Before the war, the Gaza Strip’s population density was estimated at about 6,000 people per square kilometer.
The UN Satellite Centre UNOSAT found that 82% of structures in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that only 3% of agricultural land is both undamaged and accessible. More than 950,000 people live in displacement sites threatened by flooding; most of them reside in tents or temporary shelters. According to Al Jazeera, nearly 1,500 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was announced.
