Israel's earthen barriers in Gaza Strip, and a line in the sand, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Israel is constructing extensive earthen barriers across the Gaza Strip, with approximately 23 km already completed.
• These barriers are solidifying the 45-km Yellow Line, which separates Israeli military-controlled territory from Palestinian-controlled areas.
• The primary stated purpose for Israel is security, aiming to create cleared, fortified buffer zones.
• The construction is viewed as deepening the existing blockade on Gaza and potentially dividing the territory into isolated enclaves.
• The barriers cut through former neighborhoods, agricultural lands, and transportation arteries.

Detailed Insights:

• The earthen walls and raised berms are designed to reduce the proximity between Israeli military positions and Palestinian population centers.
• This infrastructure is seen as a measure to regulate civilian movement and could impact the contiguity of Palestinian territory.
• Geographer Merav Amir's research highlights how severe restrictions on Gaza have evolved into a full-fledged blockade, isolating the region.
• The division of Gaza's main transport routes could isolate urban hubs like Gaza City from agricultural lands, affecting domestic supply chains.
• Researchers note that for Palestinians, these barriers represent permanent territorial displacement, preventing many from returning home.
• Similar engineering concepts have been deployed, such as the Moroccan Wall in Western Sahara and the Bar Lev Line along the Suez Canal.
• Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power is generally prohibited from making permanent structural alterations to occupied territory.
• UN officials have consistently warned that permanent buffer zones violate Gaza’s territorial integrity, as affirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 2720.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Yellow Line: The demarcation line separating Israeli military-controlled territory from Palestinian-controlled areas in the Gaza Strip.
• Fourth Geneva Convention: An international treaty protecting civilians in times of war, prohibiting permanent alterations to occupied territory unless for absolute military necessity.
• UN Security Council Resolution 2720: A resolution affirming Gaza's territorial integrity and calling for humanitarian access and protection of civilians.
• Moroccan Wall (the Berm): A massive sand and stone embankment built by Morocco in Western Sahara to separate its controlled territory from the Polisario Front.