Palestinian study: "Yellow Line" entrenches a new spatial reality in Gaza

A research paper by the Palestinian Center for Political Studies concluded that the "Yellow Line" in Gaza is transforming from a temporary security arrangement into a long-term spatial and political reality, with Israeli control expanding from 53% of the Strip's area in October 2025 to 65-70% by August 2026, and severe restrictions on access to agricultural land.

A new research paper by the Palestinian Center for Political Studies concluded that the "Yellow Line" in the Gaza Strip is gradually transforming from a temporary security arrangement into a long-term spatial and political reality. The paper, titled "Engineering Spatial Control in the Gaza Strip: The Yellow Line between Temporary Security Arrangement and Permanent Division," tracked geographical and field transformations since the ceasefire agreement in October 2025. It found that Israeli control or severe restriction expanded from about 53% of the Strip's area in October 2025 to between 65% and 70% by August 2026. On the agricultural side, the paper relied on a joint assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations, indicating that only about 3% of agricultural land remained safely accessible until June 2026. The study examined three hypotheses for the line's function: a temporary security arrangement, a negotiating pressure tool, or a precursor to long-term division. It concluded that field practice is moving towards the entrenchment hypothesis, while emphasizing that this does not prove an official Israeli decision to annex territories. The study warned that linking reconstruction to geographical location and security screening mechanisms could turn the line into a mechanism affecting population distribution and opportunities for return and reconstruction, impacting the Strip's geographical and political unity.