US-brokered 'yellow line' becomes death line as Israel forces out Gaza residents
Iran Press TV
Tuesday, 21 October 2025 3:00 PM
A ceasefire demarcation line established under a US-brokered agreement for Israel's withdrawal has become a deadly frontier in Gaza, where Israeli forces are forcing residents from entire eastern districts and blocking their return.
The Gaza Government Media Office said on Tuesday that Israeli forces have cleared residents from all eastern neighborhoods, warning that the measure is "creating a new and dangerous reality on the ground."
Thousands of Palestinian families have fled as the Israeli military enforces the so-called "yellow line," introduced under US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza plan, which runs from northern Gaza to the outskirts of Rafah in the south.
Israeli forces remain deployed in the Shejaiya neighborhood, parts of Al-Tuffah and Zeitoun in Gaza City, as well as in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia in the north, Rafah in the south, and along the Gaza coast.
According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the Israeli military directly opens fire on any Palestinian crossing the "yellow line" or even approaching it, without prior warning.
Officials in Gaza say the vast amount of debris left by months of Israeli bombardment has made it nearly impossible for residents to navigate safely or avoid the newly marked boundary.
The mass displacement has pushed thousands into overcrowded areas in central and western Gaza, including around al-Shifa Hospital, deepening the humanitarian crisis and overwhelming health facilities and shelters already on the verge of collapse.
On October 10, Israeli forces completed the first phase of withdrawal to the "yellow line" but maintained control over nearly 58 percent of the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on Sunday, Hamas condemned Israeli attacks along the line as "crimes that expose the occupation's deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians," and called on the United States and other mediators to pressure Tel Aviv to respect the agreement.
The Gaza media office reported that since the October 10 agreement took effect, Israel has committed at least 80 violations, killing 97 Palestinians and injuring 230 others, including women and children.
Observers have warned that what was intended as a marker for Israeli withdrawal has become a de facto border of occupation.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel's two-year campaign of genocide has killed more than 68,000 people and wounded over 170,000 since October 2023. The war has displaced over two million people and left almost the entire population dependent on humanitarian aid.
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