Israel expands ‘yellow zone’, forcing thousands more Gazans to flee again – Israeli media

Israel is continuing to expand its control over the Gaza Strip by moving yellow concrete barriers deeper into the territory, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel now controls 70 per cent of the enclave, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

The Israeli newspaper, citing Palestinian sources, reported that the barriers are being placed further west, reducing the areas where civilians can move and triggering new waves of displacement.

The latest expansion reportedly took place over the past 24 hours east of Gaza City, near Salah al-Din Road.

According to the report, the deeper advance is intended to increase pressure on Hamas while providing the Israeli military with wider security zones to protect its forward positions and nearby Israeli settlements.

The report said the operation, which began several weeks ago, is expected to continue, with newly seized areas effectively becoming part of what Israel refers to as “yellow zones”.

A Gaza resident living near Salah al-Din Road said: “Last night, the army moved the yellow barriers closer to an area where many displaced families were staying. As a result, many families were forced to flee for their lives after the area became extremely dangerous and vulnerable to attacks, as happened in Shuja’iyya and Zeitoun.”

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