ICSPR Warns Against the Entrenchment of the “Yellow Line” and the Gradual Annexation of Half of the Gaza Strip, Condemns Ceasefire Violations and Attempts to Impose “Day After” Arrangements in Violation of International Law

Date: March 28, 2025

Press Release

ICSPR Warns Against the Entrenchment of the “Yellow Line” and the Gradual Annexation of Half of the Gaza Strip, Condemns Ceasefire Violations and Attempts to Impose “Day After” Arrangements in Violation of International Law

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) expresses its deep concern over the accelerating steps taken by Israeli occupation authorities on the ground in the Gaza Strip to entrench what is known as the “Yellow Line” as a de facto permanent boundary, effectively annexing nearly half of the Strip. This comes amid the international community’s preoccupation with the repercussions of the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, which is being exploited to impose new geographic and political realities.

Field data indicate that Israeli forces are systematically working to transform this line into a permanent boundary by establishing 32 military sites and positioning points, constructing earthen barriers and military engineering structures, reflecting a clear trend toward long-term control and redrawing Gaza’s internal geography. The “Yellow Line” is thus being transformed from a temporary measure into a de facto separation line extending approximately 45 kilometers, supported by integrated infrastructure including paved roads and communication towers, thereby imposing control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

ICSPR affirms that these policies constitute an unlawful gradual annexation and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the acquisition of territory by force, the forcible transfer of civilians, and the imposition of permanent changes in occupied territories.

In the same context, ICSPR condemns the continued serious and systematic violations of the ceasefire agreement. Documented data indicate that Israeli forces have committed a total of 2,073 violations since the agreement came into effect, including live fire, aerial and artillery bombardment, incursions, and demolition of homes. These violations have resulted in the killing of 680 civilians—mostly women, children, and the elderly—and the injury of 1,813 others, in addition to the arrest of 50 civilians from residential areas, confirming the continued direct targeting of civilians, even beyond the “Yellow Line.”

ICSPR further stresses that the occupying power has failed to comply with the humanitarian protocol attached to the ceasefire agreement. The entry of humanitarian, commercial, and fuel supplies has not exceeded 40% of actual needs, while fuel entry has not exceeded 14%. This is compounded by continued obstruction of medical supplies, temporary shelters, reconstruction materials, and heavy equipment for debris removal, as well as the disruption of the electricity plant’s operation and strict restrictions on movement through the Rafah crossing.

ICSPR considers these policies to constitute a systematic pattern of collective punishment and starvation, with more than 2.3 million Palestinians living under catastrophic and unprecedented humanitarian conditions, marked by shortages of food, water, and medicine, the collapse of service sectors, and deprivation of basic necessities of life.

ICSPR also warns against attempts to impose so-called “day after” arrangements in the Gaza Strip outside the framework of international humanitarian law and the ceasefire agreement. Available information indicates a proposal submitted by the representative of the Peace Council, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, which includes disarming resistance factions within a specified timeline and linking Israeli withdrawal and the start of reconstruction to the completion of this process. These proposals have faced broad Palestinian rejection, as they distort the ceasefire agreement and represent a fundamental imbalance in the political process by conditioning basic rights on political and security requirements while ignoring Israel’s obligations to cease violations, lift the blockade, ensure humanitarian access, and enable recovery and reconstruction.

ICSPR emphasizes that this approach turns the political process into a tool of coercion by linking civilians’ fundamental rights—including relief and reconstruction—to imposed conditions under the pressure of a catastrophic humanitarian reality caused by Israeli aggression. This reflects a lack of seriousness by Israel, with U.S. support, in adhering to the ceasefire or respecting international law, as evidenced by the continued blockade, refusal to fully withdraw, obstruction of aid, and prevention of recovery and reconstruction, alongside efforts to entrench the “Yellow Line” and impose political and security arrangements in Gaza and at border crossings. Israeli authorities also continue policies aimed at deepening control and fragmenting Palestinian internal structures by obstructing the work of the Gaza Administration Committee, denying it entry and resources, and supporting proxy militias to spread chaos and incite internal conflict, posing a direct threat to civil peace and social cohesion.

ICSPR notes that Israeli policies have confined Gaza’s population to less than 40% of the territory, transforming it into a devastated disaster zone characterized by mass displacement, widespread tent settlements, and the absence of basic living conditions, alongside the continued targeting of civilians through various means of violence. This situation amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity and may rise to the level of genocide.

ICSPR stresses that what is taking place in the Gaza Strip represents a systematic attempt to forcibly reshape the Palestinian reality, in clear violation of international law, UN resolutions, and rulings of the International Court of Justice, including a unilateral interpretation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803. The Commission warns that international silence and inaction encourage the entrenchment of a permanent colonial reality, posing a serious threat to civilian lives and the future stability of the Gaza Strip.

Accordingly, ICSPR calls on the international community, mediators, and High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention to:

• Take urgent action to stop Israeli violations, ceasefire breaches, and policies of gradual annexation, and to compel Israel to fully and immediately withdraw and halt the entrenchment of the “Yellow Line.”
• Fully lift the blockade and ensure the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid, fuel, essential materials, temporary shelters, and medical supplies.
• Reject linking withdrawal, reconstruction, or humanitarian rights to any political or security conditions.
• Enable the Gaza Administration Committee to enter the Strip, operate freely, and be provided with the necessary resources to lead recovery and reconstruction efforts.
• Protect and strengthen the rule of law and civil peace, reject all attempts to fuel internal division and chaos, and support a unified Palestinian national path that promotes political partnership and protects national rights.
• Work toward providing international protection, deploying stabilization forces in accordance with international law, activating international accountability mechanisms, prosecuting perpetrators of genocide and war crimes before international courts, imposing sanctions on Israel, and safeguarding the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.