Israeli bullets continue to claim Palestinian lives along Gaza's 'Yellow Line' despite ceasefire

2026-02-26 - 12:12

Basma Banat, a 28-year-old mother from Beit Lahia, left for work Sunday morning as she did every day. She never returned. Israeli military vehicles stationed east of the town struck her in the lower back with gunfire, killing her. Hours later, doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital announced her death as relatives waited outside. Her children now sit at the Ramadan iftar table without their mother—a scene repeated across Gaza as hospitals continue receiving civilians killed or wounded by Israeli fire near army positions. The 'Yellow Line' and Ceasefire Violations The "Yellow Line," established under the October 10 ceasefire agreement, separates areas under Israeli military control—approximately 53% of Gaza's territory—from western areas where Palestinians can move. Yet residents living among destroyed homes and tents say they face heavy gunfire, artillery shelling, and airstrikes from new Israeli positions behind this line. Gaza's Government Media Office reports 96 Palestinians killed by direct Israeli fire since the ceasefire, including 36 women, children, and elderly, with 326 wounded. The Health Ministry puts total ceasefire violations at 818 killed and 1,663 injured. 'Safe Zone' a Big Lie Ahmed Banat, brother of Basma, rejected Israeli claims of creating safe areas for civilians: "The safe zone is a big lie. There is no safe place. We face gunfire and shells morning and evening. Our lives have no meaning." Her husband, Mousa Warsh Agha, now faces raising four children alone, including infant Ibrahim who will never know his mother. "What do I tell them when they ask every day, 'Where is our mother?'" he asked. Deliberate Pattern, Not Isolated Incidents Anadolu footage documents newly established Israeli military sites atop elevated sand dunes overlooking Palestinian neighborhoods, including armored vehicles, sniper posts with advanced surveillance gear, and metal towers mounted with machine guns firing continuously. Quadcopter drones fire on civilians and drop incendiary devices. Government Media Office director Ismail Al-Thawabteh described these as "not isolated cases or field errors, but a repeated pattern of deliberate and calculated killings that reflects premeditated intent to target civilians and impose a continuous equation of fire despite the declared truce." He called for urgent international action to compel Israel to halt targeting, establish monitoring mechanisms, and activate legal accountability.