Israel expands military control inside Gaza along designated demarcation line

Israel has expanded its military occupation inside the Gaza Strip by moving yellow concrete blocks further into the territory, Al Jazeera reported. The moves restrict access to 65 percent of Gaza and force 2.1 million Palestinians into the remaining space, according to Al Jazeera. [1]

The demarcation line originally separated the Palestinian controlled western area, comprising 47 percent of the territory, from the 53 percent controlled by Israel. Al Jazeera reported that the boundary was established under a United States brokered plan to end the war, with Israeli forces expected to withdraw gradually. Instead, Israeli forces moved the concrete markers further into Gaza on Sunday. [1][6]

The ongoing military presence and boundary restrictions continue to hamper efforts to search for missing people beneath cleared rubble in Gaza, CNN reported. Meanwhile, residents in Gaza report that continuous displacement and destruction have destroyed entire neighborhoods, according to msnbc.com. [2][3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023. The expanding restrictions and military control persist despite initial plans for a staged troop withdrawal. [1][6][9]