Gaza/Husni Nadim/Anadolu

On Thursday, Palestinians from the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City held a popular stand in rejection of the expansion of what is known as the 'Yellow Line,' affirming their attachment to their land and demanding the withdrawal of the Israeli army and adherence to the ceasefire agreement.

Participants in the stand, which was held in Palestine Square (the plaza) east of Gaza City, included residents from the neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Shujaiya, and Tuffah. They raised banners and chanted slogans calling for an end to Israeli expansion in the eastern area.

The 'Yellow Line' refers to the demarcation line to which the Israeli army withdrew as part of the arrangements of the first phase of the American plan to end the war on Gaza, which came into effect in October 2025, but Tel Aviv has not complied with it.

Since the start of the ceasefire, the Israeli army has killed and injured dozens of Palestinians, claiming they attempted to cross this line.

The Israeli army continues to periodically shift these blocks westward, expanding the area under its control at the expense of Palestinian land, now controlling 70 percent of the Strip's area.

**Double tragedy**

Taysir Muhaisin, head of the Coalition of Palestinian Civil Society Organizations, told Anadolu that the stand aimed to "raise the voice of residents of the eastern areas to the international community, to express their anger and rejection of the Israeli occupation's measures in moving the so-called Yellow Line westward."

Muhaisin added that these measures "push thousands of families to flee again toward the heart of Gaza City, increasing the suffering of the population and compounding the tragedy of displacement and homelessness."

He pointed out that Israeli military positions deployed inside the area frequently open fire on Palestinians.

Muhaisin explained that this has led to the killing of "tens, rather hundreds" of residents of the eastern neighborhoods.

He added that Salah al-Din Street, which runs from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip, "has become the street of death for residents of the eastern areas, as a result of continuous shooting at anyone who approaches it."

**Artificial lines**

For his part, Hamed Jindiya, a member of the National Committee for Clans in the Gaza Strip, told Anadolu that the stand was a rejection of what he described as "artificial lines drawn by the occupation to encroach on more land."

Jindiya added that "the Yellow Line includes most of the eastern areas, and a number of citizens have been killed along it despite being west of it."

He affirmed the commitment of the residents of the eastern neighborhoods to their right to their land, demanding the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all areas it has advanced into, full adherence to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and not imposing any new reality on the ground.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are living in tents and temporary shelters across the Gaza Strip, after the Israeli genocide destroyed their homes or inflicted severe damage, forcing them to repeatedly flee and take refuge in camps lacking the basics of life and essential services.

According to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli violations since the start of the ceasefire have resulted in the killing of 1,092 Palestinians and the injury of 3,507 others, most of them women and children.

Since October 8, 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 173,000 injured, in addition to widespread destruction that has affected 90 percent of civilian infrastructure.