Satellite imagery shows Israeli forces constructing more than 23 kilometers of berms, military roads and fortified positions along the boundary separating Palestinians from the more than half of Gaza currently under Israeli control.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Israel is rapidly constructing a miles-long earthen barrier through the Gaza Strip, reinforcing a military-controlled boundary that was originally presented as temporary under the October ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
More than 23 kilometers, or about 14 miles, of the barrier have been completed in recent months, according to satellite imagery reviewed by The Associated Press. The construction extends through areas where Palestinian communities have been largely demolished during Israeli military operations.
The combined length is equivalent to more than half of Gaza’s approximately 40-kilometer, or 25-mile, coastline. The territory is about 11 kilometers, or 7 miles, wide and is home to more than 2 million Palestinians.
After being shown the satellite images, the Israeli military confirmed that it had built a physical barrier near the so-called yellow line, the boundary to which Israeli troops withdrew under the ceasefire.
The U.S.-backed agreement envisioned the yellow line as an interim division before Israeli forces eventually withdrew closer to Gaza’s perimeter. Months of stalled implementation, however, have raised concerns among Palestinians that the temporary military boundary is becoming a lasting internal border.
U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for monitoring the ceasefire, did not comment on the barrier. The Board of Peace, the body led by President Donald Trump and intended to assume an eventual oversight role in Gaza, also declined to comment.
The Israeli military said it has established a broader “security zone” around the yellow line containing intelligence and technological systems. It did not disclose the precise route of the barrier or say how far construction is expected to continue.
According to the military, the barrier is intended to prevent infiltration and protect Israeli forces operating in Gaza, as well as Israeli communities near the territory.
Many Palestinians have long feared that Israel will not relinquish the portion of Gaza it continues to control. Few residents appear to know the full extent of the newly constructed berms because approaching the yellow line can be dangerous or fatal.
Satellite images supplied by Planet Labs PBC show that part of the barrier in southern Gaza expanded by more than 2 kilometers, or 1.2 miles, during a two-week period in July.
That section measured approximately 500 meters, or 0.3 miles, on July 1. By July 15, it had grown to roughly 2.4 kilometers, or 1.5 miles.
The southern berm separates the Israel-controlled ruins of Rafah from Muwasi, where some of Gaza’s largest camps of displaced Palestinians are located.
Rafah, once home to more than 250,000 people, has been largely destroyed during Israeli operations. Most surviving Palestinians in the region have been forced westward into densely populated coastal areas containing extensive tent encampments.
Should the new southern construction continue in the same direction, it would connect with the longest existing portion of the barrier.
That stretch runs almost continuously for about 17 kilometers, or 10 miles, from the southern city of Khan Younis toward areas near Gaza City in the north.
Satellite imagery indicates that construction on the 17-kilometer section began in February and has continued expanding southward.
More than 1 kilometer, or 0.6 miles, was added between June 21 and July 7 near an Israeli military base constructed on the ruins of Bani Suheila, a town near Khan Younis.
In northern Gaza, several separate sections of berm have also appeared outside Beit Lahia, a town that has been extensively leveled during the war.
The height of the earthen barriers is not clear from the imagery. Some stretches appear to extend beyond the location generally associated with the yellow line.
The boundary itself was never precisely mapped in the ceasefire agreement and has not been consistently marked on the ground by either Israeli or U.S. authorities.
The Israeli military told AP that it is working to mark the route more clearly to “reduce friction and prevent harm to uninvolved individuals.”
Israeli troops have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians who approached or crossed the line.
The military says it targets people believed to be militants who pose a threat to Israeli forces. Those killed, however, have included children and other civilians who appeared unaware of the boundary’s location.
Some Israeli soldiers have said they do not always know the identity of the people they are firing upon and have been instructed to kill anyone crossing the line.
Since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians, most in drone and airstrikes throughout Gaza. Militant attacks have killed five Israeli soldiers during the same period.
An Israeli strike early Tuesday in Gaza City killed Firas al-Masri, his wife and their four children, according to Shifa Hospital. The children ranged in age from 6 to 13.
The Israeli military said only that it conducted a strike against Hamas militants in the area at approximately the same time.
Firas’ brother, Ahmad al-Masri, said he lived nearby and could hear the children during the aftermath of the explosion.
“They were calling out to me, ‘Uncle! Uncle!’” he said. “But the fire was raging, and we couldn’t do anything.”
Conditions for Palestinians west of the yellow line remain severe. Much of the population is concentrated in a narrow coastal strip, where families live in crowded and unsanitary tent camps and depend heavily on humanitarian aid.
East of the line, Israeli forces have demolished most surviving structures using explosives and bulldozers, according to satellite imagery.
Entire towns and neighborhoods have been nearly erased. Agricultural areas have also been destroyed, reducing the amount of usable farmland remaining in the territory.
The Israeli military says its demolition operations target tunnels, buildings and other infrastructure used by Hamas.
Israeli forces have also built new roads and military bases across the areas under their control. Several installations have been erected directly on the ruins of Palestinian communities.
The combination of roads, bases, cleared land, security technology and earthen berms indicates a substantial transformation of the territory rather than a limited troop deployment along a temporary ceasefire line.
Under the original agreement, Israeli forces were eventually expected to withdraw toward Gaza’s outer boundaries. An international security force was then supposed to replace them.
That phase has not been implemented.
A former United Nations diplomat overseeing ceasefire coordination has blamed the delay on Hamas’ refusal to disarm.
Negotiations over a process for decommissioning Hamas’ weapons have produced little visible progress. Hamas, meanwhile, accuses Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire.
The earthen barrier is being constructed as both sides remain divided over the requirements for advancing the agreement.
For Palestinians, the physical separation has intensified fears that Israel intends to retain long-term control of a large portion of Gaza, regardless of whether the area is formally annexed.
Israel has not publicly characterized the barrier as a permanent border. Its continuing expansion, however, has strengthened the physical division between the overcrowded Palestinian population in the west and the demolished, military-controlled zone to the east.
The Gaza war began after Hamas-led terrorists attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign that has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ministry was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government but maintains detailed casualty records that United Nations agencies and international organizations generally regard as reliable.
Its totals do not distinguish between civilians and militants. The ministry says women and children account for approximately half of those killed.
The new barrier does not formally alter the terms of the ceasefire, but it significantly changes conditions on the ground.
With more than 23 kilometers already constructed and additional sections expanding, Israel is creating a fortified internal divide through a territory that was supposed to be reunited under later stages of the agreement.
Whether the berms will eventually be removed, incorporated into a longer-term security arrangement or become a de facto border remains unresolved as negotiations over Israeli withdrawal, international security and Hamas’ disarmament remain stalled.
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