Leaked maps reveal occupation's control over two-thirds of Gaza Strip, trapping millions in a narrow strip

Military documents and maps belonging to the Israeli occupation have revealed the imposition of a new reality on the ground in the Gaza Strip, where thousands of displaced Palestinians have been placed within restricted and expanded areas under direct military control. These maps indicate new geographical divisions based on colored lines that define the scope of troop deployment, continuously shrinking the areas available to Palestinians in the face of Israeli military expansion.

Geographical data shows that the area designated by the 'Orange Line' alone represents about 11 percent of the Strip's area, and it lies outside what is known as the 'Yellow Line' which has separated troop concentration areas since last October. Under this division, the areas confined between these two lines practically encircle nearly two-thirds of Gaza's area, placing the vast majority of the land under the occupation's security grip.

International relief sources reported that the occupation army distributed these maps to humanitarian organizations in mid-March without public announcement, to coordinate field movements. According to estimates derived from these maps, at least 64 percent of the Gaza Strip's territory is now under Israeli control, while approximately two million Palestinians are forced to remain in a narrow coastal strip lacking the most basic necessities of life.

For its part, the occupation army claims that the areas between the Orange Line and the armistice line are 'restricted areas' aimed at facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and protecting aid workers. The occupation claims that the movements of international organizations in these squares require prior coordination to ensure their safety, while simultaneously claiming that civilians are not affected by these military measures, which is refuted by facts on the ground.

In contrast, these field expansions have raised deep concerns among displaced Palestinians who now fear being turned into legitimate military targets in the eyes of the occupation simply by being present in those areas. There is also a state of political and human rights anxiety about Israel's intention to turn this temporary military control into a permanent occupation that will permanently alter the demography and geography of the Strip.

Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that Israeli forces had managed to extend their control over more than half of the Strip's area, emphasizing the continuation of offensive operations to surprise the resistance. These statements coincide with assurances from the 'COGAT' unit of the Israeli Ministry of Defense that the boundaries of operational areas are subject to continuous updates based on field assessments, without clarifying how civilians are informed of these dangerous changes.

On the ground, paramedics and medical sources confirmed the martyrdom of more than 800 Palestinians by occupation bullets and shells since the announcement of the last ceasefire, with most targeting concentrated near the Yellow Line. International aid workers were not spared from this escalation, as three employees working for 'UNICEF' and the World Health Organization were martyred in the restricted areas since mid-March, exposing the falsity of Israeli claims of providing safe corridors for humanitarian work.

More than half of the Strip's territory is now under Israeli control, and our forces are taking the initiative in attacking and surprising their adversaries.