‘Where do we go?’: How Israel’s ‘yellow line’ is closing in on Palestinians
Gaza families face shrinking space and repeated displacement near Israel’s “yellow line”
Qinilo.com – For Palestinians living in eastern Gaza City, the painted cement blocks marking Israel’s “yellow line” have become a daily reminder that the area available to them is getting smaller. Families in neighbourhoods close to the boundary say they remain there because they have no realistic alternative, even as military activity, fear and repeated displacement shape every part of life.
Ola Ishtiwi sits with her children beside what remains of their home in Al-Tuffah, only metres from the yellow-painted markers. The line was established after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement announced in October 2025. It divides Gaza into a western section where most Palestinians are confined and an eastern section controlled by the Israeli military.
When it was first set out, the boundary left about 47 per cent of Gaza’s territory accessible to the Palestinian population. That space has since narrowed. Palestinians now live on less than 40 per cent of the Strip’s land area, while families near the line have faced pressure to leave their homes as Israeli forces move the boundary inward.
A population compressed into a smaller area
About 2.1 million people, nearly Gaza’s entire population, are displaced and living within the limits imposed by the “yellow line.” The restriction has intensified the challenge of finding somewhere safer to stay, particularly for people already uprooted several times during the war.
Land that could be used for camps is increasingly difficult to identify. Much of the potentially suitable terrain is located east, north or south of the line, in places that are prohibited or restricted. That leaves displaced families competing for limited space in areas already crowded by people whose homes have been damaged, destroyed or abandoned.
The consequences reach far beyond the immediate boundary. A recent shelter assessment found that 1.98 million people, representing 94 per cent of Gaza’s population, need help with shelter and essential non-food items. Eighty-four per cent of families are living in severe conditions, including in tents or makeshift shelters that offer inadequate protection from weather.
For residents of Al-Tuffah and Zeitoun, the choice is often between staying close to danger or moving into uncertainty. Homes, possessions and familiar neighbourhoods may be left behind with little warning, while other locations offer no guarantee of safety or shelter.
“Where do we go?”
Ibtisam Malika, who lives in Zeitoun near the line, described a pattern that has become painfully familiar: moving away, returning when possible, then being forced to leave again.
“Every two to three months, we are forced to move and leave our belongings behind,” she said.
“We can’t take it anymore. We lost half of our children in the war, and only remnants of us remain.”
Safaa Mushtaha, from Al-Tuffah, said the question of where her family could go is no longer occasional. It has become part of everyday conversation.
“‘Where do we go?’ This is a question we’ve been asking ourselves for three years,” she said. “We accepted living near the yellow line, but it’s become unbearable.”
Ms. Ishtiwi said her family lacks even the most basic resources needed to cope with another move.
“We don’t know what to do or where to go,” she said. “We don’t have a tent, and we don’t have money.”
These accounts show how displacement is not a single event for many Gaza families. It is a continuing condition: the need to remain ready to flee, uncertainty over whether belongings can be saved, and the strain of searching for shelter in a territory where usable land is diminishing.
Fear after dark
Ahmed Arhim, also from Zeitoun, said the sound of gunfire and drones makes sleep especially difficult for children. The constant tension has affected families who remain in areas near the boundary.
“The children can’t sleep. They are scared and they wet themselves. Many residents have already left. We are displaced every day, always displaced. This is not life.”
Military operations and strikes have continued in Gaza despite the ceasefire declared in October 2025. Since 10 October 2025, local authorities have recorded 1,334 deaths and 4,429 injuries. The continued violence has compounded the insecurity facing communities already living with fragile shelter, scarce space and the prospect of another sudden evacuation.
The UN Human Rights Office has called for an end to the bloodshed. In a five-day period late in August, Israeli attacks killed 24 Palestinians, including four children and one woman. Air raids accounted for 21 of those deaths.
For families living beside the yellow blocks, the line is not merely a feature on a map. It defines how close they can remain to home, how often they may have to move and whether they can find a place to sleep with even limited protection. As the accessible area contracts, the question voiced by residents in eastern Gaza City remains unresolved: where can they go?
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