‘Living in a Cage’: Palestinians Trapped as Israel Expands Yellow Line in Gaza:

Dozens of Palestinian families in northern Gaza are trapped once again in terrifying conditions as Israeli forces push further into the enclave, a move local officials say violates the United States-brokered ceasefire that was supposed to offer some relief after months of devastation. On Thursday, Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that Israeli soldiers and tanks had moved roughly 300 meters (984 feet) beyond the so-called “yellow line” in eastern Gaza City—an unmarked boundary set under last month’s ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The office warned that many families living near the area have gone silent amid heavy shelling, leaving their fate painfully uncertain. “The fate of many of these families remains unknown,” the office said, stressing that the expansion of the yellow line reflects a “blatant disregard” for the fragile truce that millions of Palestinians hoped would at least pause their suffering. For residents, the yellow line has become an invisible barrier of fear. Israeli forces regularly fire at anyone approaching it. By pushing this line deeper into Gaza, Israel has effectively tightened its grip on more than half of the already devastated territory. Al Jazeera journalist Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City, described seeing Israeli soldiers placing new yellow markers and signs in the Shujayea neighborhood to mark their expanded deployment zone. But the markings are scattered and incomplete, leaving ordinary Palestinians unsure where danger begins. “People simply don’t know where they can walk safely,” Khoudary said. “With this latest advancement in Shujayea, even more Palestinians are cut off from their homes. People say they are living in a cage, squeezed further and further into the western side of Gaza.” The Israeli military has not commented publicly on claims that it has crossed the designated boundary in violation of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, fear is spreading across the Gaza Strip as Israeli attacks intensify. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least 32 people were killed over the past 24 hours, and another 88 were wounded. Among the victims was a baby girl killed in an air strike on a home in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. Fifteen others were injured in that attack alone. According to an analysis by Al Jazeera, Israel has violated the ceasefire nearly 400 times since it began on October 10. For Palestinians, these repeated violations have turned daily life into a cycle of hope and heartbreak. Mohammed Hamdouna, a 36-year-old displaced man living in a tent, told AFP that nothing feels stable or safe. “We are still living in tents,” he said. “The cities are rubble, the crossings are still closed, and all the basic necessities of life are still lacking. People are being killed daily.” Lina Kuraz, 33, from Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood, said she fears the war could erupt in full force again at any moment. “Every time we try to regain hope, the shelling starts again,” she said. “When will this nightmare end?” For countless families, the ceasefire that was meant to offer a brief moment of breathing room now feels like little more than a fragile promise—one that can be shattered at any time. Instead of safety, many Palestinians say they feel trapped between shifting boundaries, relentless bombardment, and an uncertain future that grows darker by the day.

NEWS