Israel has significantly expanded the area of the Gaza Strip under its control, deepening its military presence and reinforcing a shifting internal boundary known as the “yellow line,” according to people familiar with the situation. The developments, reported by the Wall Street Journal, come as the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire continues to erode amid stalled diplomacy and ongoing clashes.
At the start of the ceasefire in October, Israel controlled roughly 53% of Gaza. That figure has now risen to about 59%, with Israeli forces reportedly pushing the dividing line further into territory previously held by Hamas. In at least one area, troops advanced the boundary several hundred yards to reach Salah al-Din Road, a key north-south route through the enclave, effectively redrawing the operational map of Gaza.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel’s military has also strengthened its positions along this line with extensive fortifications, including trenches, sand berms, and newly established outposts. Satellite images show at least seven new fortified positions, some with paved surfaces and multiple buildings, reinforcing Israel’s control over its side of the divide. Additional military installations are scattered across northern and southern Gaza, but the most concentrated build-up appears in central areas where civilian population density remains highest.
Israeli officials say these defenses are designed to reduce vulnerability and prevent militant attacks, particularly after incidents in which armed individuals approached or fired on Israeli troops near the boundary. The military has also installed yellow-painted markers to clarify where Israeli-controlled territory begins, following earlier episodes in which civilians were mistakenly caught too close to the line.
The expansion of control reflects a broader hardening of the separation inside Gaza, as diplomatic progress under President Donald Trump’s peace initiative has stalled. The ceasefire, originally intended as a first step toward disarmament of Hamas, reconstruction, and phased Israeli withdrawal, has instead led to what observers describe as an uneasy and increasingly entrenched status quo.
Casualties continue to be reported near the dividing line. Israeli officials say their forces have responded to threats and suspicious activity, while Palestinian accounts claim civilians have been killed after unknowingly approaching the boundary. The area has effectively become a volatile buffer zone, with neither side fully in control and risks to civilians remaining high.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel now controls around 60% of Gaza, a figure broadly consistent with assessments cited by the U.S.-backed Civil-Military Coordination Center monitoring ceasefire implementation. Israel maintains that it will not withdraw further while Hamas retains operational control over parts of the enclave.
Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire agreement and expanding its territorial hold in violation of mediated understandings. The group argues that the movement of the yellow line and continued military activity demonstrate Israel’s intention to reshape facts on the ground rather than pursue full withdrawal.
The Wall Street Journal reports that international mediators are increasingly concerned about the risk of Gaza becoming permanently divided. Nickolay Mladenov, who is leading parts of the Trump-brokered peace effort, warned that prolonged stabilization without political resolution could lock in a long-term partition of the territory. He emphasized that the absence of progress risks turning a temporary arrangement into a permanent reality.
Efforts to advance reconstruction have also become entangled in the dispute. A U.S.-led initiative known as the Board of Peace has proposed building new housing developments in areas under Israeli control as part of a broader recovery plan. However, some Arab governments and Hamas have resisted the proposal, insisting that reconstruction should not proceed under conditions of territorial fragmentation or partial occupation.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued military activity beyond the immediate ceasefire lines. Reports indicate ongoing demolition of structures within areas under Israeli control, which the military says are either unsafe from war damage or pose potential security risks. Officials also confirmed continued efforts to locate and destroy tunnel networks believed to connect Hamas-controlled zones with Israeli positions.
Aid organizations operating in Gaza have been notified of a secondary boundary, referred to as the “orange line,” which lies deeper inside Hamas-held territory. Humanitarian actors have been instructed to coordinate movements with Israeli authorities for safety reasons, further complicating access to large parts of the enclave where most of Gaza’s population resides.
Nearly two million Palestinians remain concentrated in Hamas-controlled areas, where living conditions continue to deteriorate. Many residents are still displaced and living in temporary shelters, while humanitarian challenges have been worsened by infrastructure collapse, waste accumulation, and public health concerns.
Analysts cited by the Wall Street Journal warn that Hamas is simultaneously attempting to rebuild its military capacity, including restoring elements of its tunnel infrastructure and reorganizing its armed wing. This parallel recovery effort has further entrenched the stalemate, as both sides prepare for the possibility of renewed conflict rather than a durable political settlement.
Former Palestinian official Ghaith al-Omari said the lack of diplomatic momentum has allowed conditions on the ground to dictate the trajectory of the conflict, warning that without renewed international pressure, the ceasefire risks becoming a permanent but unstable division of Gaza.
