Palestinian families leave their homes in Gaza after new evacuation orders as Israel expands a military security zone marked by yellow concrete barriers.

Israel's Expanding Military Zone Forces More Gazans to Flee

CAIRO/GAZA — July 28, 2026

Residents across the Gaza Strip are once again leaving their homes as Israel expands a military buffer zone marked by large yellow concrete barriers, increasing displacement in areas already heavily affected by months of conflict.

Palestinians living in several neighborhoods said Israeli forces have advanced what residents call the "yellow line" in recent days, forcing families to move after receiving evacuation warnings. Many say they have already been displaced several times since the war began.

In Gaza City's Zeitoun district, resident Assem Dawla packed mattresses, bags and other belongings onto a truck as his family prepared to leave. He said it was the seventh or eighth time they had been forced to relocate because of Israeli military operations.

According to residents and Hamas officials, the yellow line has expanded in at least five locations across Gaza, including Zeitoun, Tuffah, Shejaia, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and parts of northern Rafah. Residents said Israeli forces moved the boundary markers farther into these areas during the past 10 days.

Several people interviewed said they received evacuation notices through text messages or loudspeakers mounted on drones before leaving. Families described gathering whatever belongings remained after previous displacements before moving once again to areas identified as safer.

The Israeli military said its forces are operating in Gaza to protect Israel from future attacks. It said the yellow line clearly marks a security zone designed to reduce contact between civilians and Israeli troops. The military added that the security system includes physical barriers, intelligence capabilities, technology and ongoing military operations.

The current military zone is part of a ceasefire framework announced in October under a U.S.-brokered peace plan that aimed to halt large-scale fighting after nearly two years of war. The proposal included increased humanitarian aid, governance by a civilian Palestinian administration, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international security force.

However, negotiations have made limited progress. Hamas has refused to disarm, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel plans to expand the territory under its control to about 70% of Gaza. By late April, Israel was estimated to control around 64% of the territory, leaving nearly all of Gaza's approximately 2 million residents concentrated in a narrow coastal area where humanitarian conditions remain severe.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said an Israeli evacuation order issued in Zeitoun earlier this month forced dozens of families to leave temporary shelters, which residents later said were destroyed.

For many Palestinians, repeated displacement has become part of daily life. Families continue moving from one location to another, often carrying only basic household items while searching for temporary shelter amid ongoing military operations.

The conflict continues with frequent Israeli strikes across Gaza, while civilians face growing uncertainty over where they can safely remain.