Nowhere left to go: Gaza families trapped near the Yellow Line
A concrete block marking the ‘Yellow Line’ drawn by the Israeli military in Bureij, central Gaza, 4 November 2025
Ansam Al-Kitaa reports in The New Arab on 27 July 2026:
Mai Murshid was buying household essentials when a quadcopter appeared above her. The 38-year-old mother of four ran towards the nearest place of cover, a movement she has become accustomed to making as she carries out daily tasks near Gaza’s ‘Yellow Line’.
Demarcated as part of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement in October 2025, the Yellow Line marks the boundary between areas under Israeli control and the remaining Palestinian-held parts of Gaza.
But since then, Israeli occupation forces have continued expanding the line deeper into the Strip, reinforcing sections with military infrastructure and further reducing the land available to Gaza’s civilian population.
For residents living near the line, even ordinary activities have become dangerous. Mai said that a month earlier, a neighbour’s child was standing at a window when a bullet struck him near the left eye. The incident was a reminder of the risks facing families living close to the boundary.
Each night, residents hear gunfire and shelling, forcing them to search for somewhere to shelter, often inside damaged buildings or tents that offer little protection. Parents try to reassure their children, while families wait to see whether another night will bring further displacement.
“I no longer have the option of staying or leaving,” Mai told The New Arab. “The lack of available places forces us to remain despite the danger.”