Danish Refugee Council Reports on Conditions in Gaza, Claims Israel is Moving 'Yellow Line'

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has reported that Israel is implementing a policy described as "protracted displacement" in Gaza. The report indicates that the so-called "Yellow Line" is moving west toward the coast, which is preventing many residents from returning to their homes. According to the DRC, approximately 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza, or 86% of the population, are living in displacement sites that often have inhumane living conditions. The findings were published on Thursday, nearly three years after the October 7 terror attacks that initiated the conflict in Gaza, and a year after the October 10 ceasefire plan was introduced. The report states, "The October 2025 ceasefire in Gaza was supposed to end civilians' suffering. Nearly a year on, it exists largely in name only. Displacement in Gaza has not ended; it has changed shape." The DRC's conclusions are based on discussions with 195 individuals residing in internal displacement camps across five governorates in Gaza. The report, titled "Confined by Design: The Human Cost of Protracted Displacement in Gaza," accuses Israel of continuing a policy of protracted displacement since the ceasefire agreement. The DRC claims that the Yellow Line, which marks the area of eastern Gaza controlled by the Israeli military, is expanding westward. Alan Moseley, the DRC's country director for the occupied Palestinian territories, stated, "In addition to protracted displacement for hundreds of thousands of people, the defining feature of the so-called ceasefire is the Yellow Line which continues expanding westward and swallowing up more land, effectively squeezing families into 30% of Gaza's territory." Other organizations, including the United Nations, have also noted the westward movement of the Yellow Line, with some discrepancies in details. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that 60% of Gaza's territory is within the Yellow Line, rather than 70%, but mentioned plans for expansion. The DRC's report highlights that aid organizations have reported difficulties operating within several kilometers of the Yellow Line due to access constraints and security concerns, which has hindered the delivery of essential aid to displacement camps near the boundary. The DRC and the Agricultural Development Association (PARC) pointed out significant deficiencies in the informal tent shelters and makeshift camps that have emerged in Gaza, where it is estimated that over 80% of residents are living. The report emphasizes the lack of site management mechanisms in displacement camps, noting that only 36% of sites have a designated site manager, typically from a national NGO, to coordinate services and manage conditions. The report states that sites with such partners can effectively identify and resolve issues, such as collapsing cesspits or unsafe walkways. Israel has not yet responded to the DRC's report. The DRC and PARC made several appeals and recommendations, addressing "all parties to the conflict," particularly the Government of Israel, and the international community, including donors and humanitarian actors. They called on Israel to halt the further expansion of the Yellow Line and to transparently disclose its current and future route. They also urged Israel to stop constructing permanent military infrastructure in the area and to provide assurances that current troop positions are not intended to be permanent. Additionally, they requested fewer restrictions on aid access, especially regarding "dual-use" restrictions impacting medical supplies, water, sanitation and hygiene items, pest control, rubble removal, and fuel. The report warns that political and donor interest in the situation has significantly declined in the year since the ceasefire, despite the lack of proportional improvement in conditions.