In a Rapid Pace.. The Occupation Builds a Huge Earth Barrier Inside Gaza

SadaNews - Satellite images have shown that the Israeli occupation army is continuing at a rapid pace the construction of a massive earth barrier inside the Gaza Strip that extends over 23 kilometers to enhance its control over more than half of the area of the Strip.

The Israeli occupation army confirmed to the Associated Press that it erected a physical barrier along what is known as the "yellow line," which is the positioning line for occupation forces stipulated in the ceasefire agreement made with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as a temporary measure until the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.

According to satellite images reported by the agency, the barrier was constructed over the past few months across vast areas that have been bulldozed within destroyed Palestinian neighborhoods and residential complexes.

The earth barrier extends over a distance equivalent to more than half the length of the Gaza Strip, which is about 40 kilometers, home to more than two million Palestinians.

The construction activities come at a time when the truce is stagnant, raising fears among Palestinians in the Strip that the yellow line will turn into a permanent de facto border.

No comments have been released from the U.S. Central Command responsible for monitoring the ceasefire agreement or from the Peace Council overseeing plans for the future administration of Gaza.

The occupation army stated that it has established, alongside the barrier, a security zone equipped with intelligence and technological capabilities, asserting that its goal is to prevent infiltration and protect Israeli forces and nearby residential areas in the Strip, without revealing the full path of the barrier or the scope of its future expansion.

The Israeli army had previously announced in recent years, before the genocide war, the completion of an advanced border system around the Gaza Strip, which includes walls and barriers equipped with the latest security and intelligence technologies, yet that system did not prevent the attack on October 7, 2023, considered one of the most dangerous surprise attacks that caught Israel off guard security-wise and militarily since its inception.

Recent images provided by Planet Labs PBC indicate a rapid pace of construction, as one section of the barrier in the southern part of the Strip grew from about 500 meters at the beginning of July to nearly 2.4 kilometers by July 15, cutting parts of the destroyed city of Rafah from the al-Mawasi area that hosts the largest concentrations of Palestinian displaced persons.

If construction continues in the current direction, this segment is expected to connect with the main part of the barrier which extends almost continuously over a distance of about 17 kilometers from southern Khan Younis to areas near the city of Gaza.

Satellite images show that expansion operations have been ongoing since its establishment in February, including its extension near an Israeli military base built on the ruins of the town of Bani Suheila east of Khan Younis.

Additional sections of the earth barriers have also been observed in the far north of the Strip near Beit Lahia, where large parts have been completely destroyed.

The actual height of these fortifications is still unknown, while some parts appear to extend beyond the path of the yellow line at several locations.

The occupation forces have also built new roads and military bases over the ruins of Palestinian communities, while Israel claims that demolition operations target the infrastructure used by Hamas.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on October 10, the occupation army has continued operations of demolishing the remaining buildings behind the yellow line, in addition to expanding the scope of the yellow line into the depth of the Strip, where most of the population lives to the west of the separation line, largely in displacement camps lacking the most basic elements of human life.

The violations of the occupation have also resulted in the martyrdom of 1,158 Palestinians and the injury of more than 3,756 others, according to data from the Ministry of Health in Gaza.