The Israeli occupation forces are tightening their control over the Gaza Strip by constructing a wide trench and earthen embankment east of the so-called “Yellow Line,” according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The new barrier is being built in an area separating territory under Israeli military control from parts of Gaza where Palestinians remain.
According to the report, the structure is designed as an anti-vehicle barrier and includes a wide trench and raised earthworks. Israeli occupation are also drilling into the ground at regular intervals, with the stated purpose of ensuring that tunnels crossing toward Israeli-controlled territory have not been overlooked.
The construction comes alongside continued Israeli military presence and targeted strikes against members of Hamas, according to the Israeli newspaper. The development further reinforces the physical separation between areas controlled by the Israeli occupation forces and the remaining parts of the besieged enclave.
The latest measures are part of a broader expansion of Israeli military control inside Gaza. Earlier reports based on satellite imagery showed the construction of extensive earthen barriers and trenches extending beyond the Yellow Line, raising concerns that temporary military boundaries could become increasingly entrenched.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli forces currently control around 64 percent of the Gaza Strip, with two military divisions deployed across approximately 30 positions. Reuters similarly reported in May that Israeli forces were controlling about 64 percent of Gaza and that the Israeli prime minister had directed the military to expand its control further.
Despite the extensive military presence and years of Israeli military pressure, Yedioth Ahronoth acknowledged that Hamas resistance continues to govern parts of Gaza. The assessment comes more than two years after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Israeli occupation was “one step away from victory.”
The construction of another major barrier therefore highlights the continuing struggle over control of Gaza, while the expansion of military positions and physical barriers raises further questions over whether areas currently held by Israeli occupation forces will remain under long-term military control.
