Israel's "Yellow Line" Is a Death Trap for Palestinians. We Drove Into It.

"The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement in Gaza stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the so-called "Yellow Line" during the first phase of the ceasefire, which was supposed to be followed by Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip in the second phase of the ceasefire, if - and only if - Hamas decommissioned and handed over its weapons. Yet our lived reality in Gaza unequivocally contradicts the agreement's claim that Israel would neither occupy nor annex our homes."

"In addition to writing firsthand eyewitness accounts of what I see around me in Gaza, I also work to support humanitarian organizations aimed at reaching as many marginalized and destitute people as possible in order to alleviate their compounded suffering by offering water, a daily meal, blankets, makeshift tents, food parcels, and other life-sustaining essentials. Our efforts are aimed at reaching Gaza's most neglected areas."

"When I started doing this humanitarian work, I knew, deep down, that this work might expose me to other kinds of horror; that I would have to absorb a scale of devastation from which there is no return - to offer solace warmly, to comfort trembling bodies, and to listen, and listen, and listen to never-ending, heart-wrenching, mind-blowing stories while sidelining my own."

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire required Israeli forces to withdraw to the "Yellow Line" and then to fully leave Gaza only if Hamas decommissioned and surrendered weapons. Gaza residents experience ongoing occupation and annexation despite that conditional agreement. Humanitarian teams operate across northern, southern, and central Gaza to deliver water, daily meals, blankets, makeshift tents, food parcels, and other essentials to marginalized and destitute families. Shelters are selected by level of need and family vulnerability. Workers accept constant personal risk, absorb large-scale devastation, provide comfort, and listen to traumatic testimonies while continuing missions in places such as Khan Younis despite threats of renewed violence.

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