Shelling at night, gunfire by day in Israel’s expanding zone of control in Gaza
Shelling at Night Gunfire by Day: Israel's Expanding Control in Gaza
Shelling at night gunfire by day - Under a makeshift shelter constructed from weathered tarps, four companions gather around a small, wobbly table for their regular card game. One of the elder participants voices his frustration to his friends: "Life is so boring." This sentiment reflects the reality for many residents of Gaza, where unemployment remains widespread and prospects appear dim. President Trump's diplomatic initiative, which envisions Israeli withdrawal alongside new governance structures and Hamas disarmament, has encountered significant delays nine months following the initial truce agreement.
Despite these challenges, the men maintain their routine, convening nearly each afternoon approximately 400 yards from their residences within al-Shujaiya, an eastern district of Gaza City. However, as evening approaches, they face limited options for shelter. With no alternative locations available, they must return to their war-damaged dwellings, where they settle in for the night.
"After sunset we put our hand on our heart and just pray," Abu Ahmed Humeid says. "No one dares go outside."
Expanding Military Territory
Israeli military operations have intensified considerably over recent months, driving deeper into Palestinian territory. When the October ceasefire commenced, armed forces maintained control over roughly fifty percent of the region, following what became known as the "yellow line" boundary.
Current assessments indicate that Israeli military presence now encompasses nearly seventy percent of Gaza, including the al-Shujaiya neighborhood. This figure derives from statements made by Israeli officials as well as cartographic evidence showing restricted access zones for humanitarian organizations, which NPR has examined.
Within al-Shujaiya, Israeli armored vehicles navigate around newly established military installations adorned with prominent Israeli flags, all visible to local Palestinian residents.
During mid-March, while international focus centered on American-Israeli military engagement with Iran, Israeli soldiers secured an additional ten percent of Gaza by establishing what they term the "orange zone," extending from north to south. Military representatives communicated this expanded control area through maps provided to aid organizations, copies of which reached NPR. Humanitarian groups report that military authorities now mandate advance notification before personnel may enter these designated regions. Given that more than four hundred aid workers have lost their lives throughout the conflict, several organizations have temporarily suspended activities in northern Gaza's orange zone pending further clarification.
Israeli military representatives did not provide responses to multiple inquiries seeking comment.
Local residents informed NPR that humanitarian operations ceased in their area beginning in March, and that ambulance services require Israeli authorization to access the neighborhood.
Shelling at Night Gunfire by Day: A New Reality
Inhabitants of the orange zone describe heightened Israeli tank bombardment and gunfire during evening hours, with sporadic tank fire occurring throughout daylight hours as well. This pattern of shelling at night gunfire by day has become a defining characteristic of life under the expanding Israeli military presence.
"Homes here get hit by Israeli fire because they're trying to push us out of here, or at least these eastern parts," Humeid said. "But we can't leave this area. This is where we grew up, where our parents and grandparents lived."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the military's growing territorial presence as a methodical approach to encircle Hamas from multiple directions, even as the American-mediated truce continues.
Speaking to an audience in May, the Prime Minister noted that Israel controlled half of Gaza when the ceasefire started, subsequently expanding that figure to sixty percent. An audience member shouted that complete control should be the ultimate objective.
"First, 70%. Let's go for that," Netanyahu responded. "We're hitting them from every direction," he said.
On the ground, no physical markers delineate the boundaries of the orange zone. The original yellow line, which previously separated Israeli-controlled territories from Hamas-administered areas, has also shifted further inland and remains only partially marked in certain locations.
The United Nations humanitarian division reports that approximately two hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire began in regions near the military's evolving control lines. These casualties represent part of the more than one thousand deaths recorded across the devastated territory during the same timeframe, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Israeli military officials have addressed certain incidents, stating that t