The displacement nightmare in Gaza continues to deepen as Israeli forces push Palestinians into increasingly restricted zones while destroying civilian infrastructure and attacking displacement camps, according to warnings issued on Friday by the UN human rights office, the OHCHR.
Shrinking Space and Military Expansion
The OHCHR stated that Israel aims to expand its military deployment area to cover 70 percent of the Gaza Strip. This continuous contraction of space has triggered fresh displacement near the yellow line demarcation boundary. Over the preceding two weeks, the UN human rights office recorded the westward expansion of Israeli military operations in Al Shujaiyeh, located in Gaza City, alongside three areas in Middle Gaza: eastern Al Bureij, eastern Deir Al-Balah, and eastern Al Maghazi. In Al Shujaiyeh, monitors documented at least two strikes on displacement sites, as well as the use of explosive robots to blow up the few remaining standing structures. Reports indicated that on October 25, an Israeli drone dropped explosives on tents holding displaced families at the Al Shujaiyeh junction near the yellow line, causing a fire that burned for five hours. Official figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing show that this specific incident displaced 200 families, totaling 800 individuals, predominantly comprising women, children, and older persons.
Legal Violations and Humanitarian Crisis
Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described the situation as an acute and chronic ordeal. Individuals displaced prior to a ceasefire announcement face minimal or zero chances of returning to their original homes because those locations fall behind the yellow line. The OHCHR emphasized that as an occupying power, Israel is obligated to stop the forcible transfer of Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip, pointing out that this practice is a war crime and potentially a crime against humanity. Moreover, Israel must allow the safe and dignified return of Palestinians to their homes. Instead, military actions have displaced nearly the entire population repeatedly, alongside severe damage to civilian infrastructure. The OHCHR added that Israeli forces treat the yellow line like a kill zone, blocking residents from returning to their properties on the opposite side. This emergency is further compounded by strict Israeli limitations on the importation of shelter-related humanitarian aid, leaving families facing their fourth winter in fragile tents under ongoing fire.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
