Gaza, January 05 (QNA) - A Palestinian human rights center warned that the Israeli occupation army has dangerously escalated its policy of using lethal force in the Gaza Strip, with civilians being shot directly for approaching or residing near the so-called "Yellow Line."
In a report issued on Monday, the Gaza Center for Human Rights said the number of Palestinians martyred has exceeded 420 since the ceasefire began in October, including 151 children and 60 women, in addition to 1,184 wounded.
The center explained that most of the casualties occurred within the area of the so-called "Yellow Line," with numbers continuing to rise due to ongoing daily violations by occupation forces in its vicinity. These violations include direct sniper fire, attacks by armed reconnaissance drones, and artillery shelling, confirming the systematic nature of the use of lethal force against civilians rather than isolated or exceptional incidents.
It added that its field team documented repeated expansions by occupation forces of the areas under their control along the "Yellow Line," with the proportion of such regions increasing from 53 percent to more than 60 percent over the past three weeks. This has been accompanied by the repositioning of yellow concrete blocks marking the start of the line, beyond which Palestinians are prohibited from crossing.
The center also documented the continued, systematic demolition and bulldozing of remaining civilian homes and properties within the "Yellow Line" zone, with occupation forces destroying entire residential neighborhoods or what remains of them. It said this is part of a clear policy aimed at imposing a new demographic and security reality to prevent residents from returning to their original areas.
The rights center stressed that these practices constitute a direct violation of the ceasefire agreement, which is supposed to ensure a halt to hostilities, protect civilians, and create conditions for the return of residents to their areas and homes, not to impose new military lines inside populated areas or use the agreement as cover for continued territorial control by force.
It further emphasized that what is taking place along the so-called "Yellow Line" represents a clear model of state terrorism, as the conduct of soldiers on the ground aligns with public statements by the political and military leadership of the occupation, which have legitimized firing on anyone approaching the line and described it as the "new security line."
A ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli entity entered into force on October 10 as part of the first phase of an initiative by US President Donald Trump to end the war on Gaza.
However, the Israeli occupation army continued to violate the agreement through shelling and attacks on residential areas, resulting in further deaths and injuries, worsening civilian suffering, disrupting efforts to restore stability in the Strip, and hindering the return of displaced residents to their homes. (QNA)