The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned on Friday of the worsening "nightmare of displacement" in the Gaza Strip, where most Palestinians face a fourth winter in flimsy tents amid continued Israeli shelling and diminishing prospects for return. Ajoya Songai, head of the Office in the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that the situation is acute and chronic, noting that Palestinians have been subjected to shelling throughout this period.
Songai added that the displacement nightmare in Gaza is both acute and chronic, calling for an end to this suffering. In this context, the Office documented during the past two weeks the expansion of Israeli military deployment areas in Shuja'iyya, Gaza City, eastern Deir al-Balah, and the Al-Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps, pushing Palestinians into smaller areas.
For his part, Songai pointed out that those displaced before the ceasefire announcement have no hope of returning, as access to most areas outside the "Yellow Line" is impossible. The "Yellow Line" is a line stipulated in the ceasefire agreement arrangements in effect since 10 October 2025, separating areas occupied by the Israeli army from areas where Palestinians are present.
He clarified that Israel announced its aim to increase its "military deployment area to 70 percent" of the Gaza Strip's area, while expanding its control over the course of a year since the agreement came into force, raising the occupied area to 63 percent. The Office stressed the need for Israel to stop the "forced transfer of Palestinians within the Strip," considering it a war crime that may amount to a crime against humanity.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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