Several Israeli tanks and military vehicles advanced further west of the so-called 'Yellow Line' in central Gaza on Monday morning, sources told The New Arab, amid fears that Israel is seeking to expand its occupation of the besieged Palestinian territory.
This came as Israeli attacks continued to kill people across the Gaza Strip.
On Monday afternoon, two Palestinians were killed and another injured in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in Deir al-Balah.
Earlier on Monday, civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal reported that at least 13 people had been killed and 60 injured by Israeli fire and airstrikes across Gaza over the previous 24 hours.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing heavy gunfire in eastern Deir al-Balah at dawn on Monday, followed by the westward movement of Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers into an area home to hundreds of displaced families.
Osama al-Kahlout, a resident of Deir al-Balah, said the Israeli army had advanced west of the demarcation line several times over the past week.
"These movements have forced residents to flee their homes and shelters, only to return when the forces pull back, leaving families in a constant state of uncertainty and fear," al-Kahlout toldThe New Arab.
Residents, he added, were growing "increasingly concerned that these advances could be part of a gradual effort to reposition troops and expand the Yellow Line westward, rather than temporary military operations."
The so-called 'Yellow Line', marked by large yellow concrete blocks, delineates areas under Israeli military control.
Although the initial arrangement under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan was intended to be temporary and followed by a gradual Israeli withdrawal, the Israeli military has instead expanded its area of control. Estimates now suggest Israel controls nearly two-thirds of the besieged Palestinian territory.
Al-Kahlout said residents’ main fear was that Israeli forces would eventually reach Salah al-Din Street, a major road connecting northern and southern Gaza that lies well west of the current demarcation line.
Mustafa Ibrahim, a Gaza-based political analyst, told The New Arab that any westward expansion towards the road "could further fragment the Strip and increase the territory under Israeli control".
Monday’s advance comes just weeks after dozens of Palestinian families in Gaza City’s Shuja’iyya neighbourhood were forced to flee when Israeli forces moved the yellow concrete blocks marking the line towards their tents without warning.
Military expansion ahead of elections
Ibrahim said the "repeated advances and withdrawals could indicate an attempt to gradually expand the area under Israeli control and establish new military positions."
"Maintaining Israeli military control over parts of Gaza and expanding the area under its control could serve the objectives of [Benjamin Netanyahu’s] far-right coalition, which opposes a full Israeli withdrawal and seeks to impose new realities on the ground," Ibrahim told The New Arab.
With Israel heading to the polls on Tuesday, Ibrahim argued that Netanyahu’s continued military operations in Gaza were closely tied to his political survival.
Netanyahu "seeks to project an image of strength and security to Israeli voters, particularly among right-wing constituencies that support maintaining military pressure on Hamas," he said.
The prime minister, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza, also faces fierce criticism from opponents over the security failures surrounding the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023.
Gaza has seen an escalation in Israeli attacks in the week preceding the general election. The total death toll since the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign has reached 74,555.
"Ultimately, the continuation of these operations risks deepening Palestinian suffering while leaving the political future of Gaza increasingly uncertain," Ibrahim said.