Israel building earth barriers and new bases in Gaza
BBC Verify reports that Israel is constructing earth barriers and new military bases in Gaza, indicating a potential permanent presence beyond the ceasefire line.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Israel is building a network of earth barriers and new military bases in Gaza, according to an investigation by BBC Verify. The construction suggests the Israeli military is establishing what some experts describe as a permanent presence beyond the ceasefire line agreed under a US-brokered deal last year.
Under the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israel was meant to withdraw its forces to a designated boundary in Gaza, marked initially with concrete blocks known as the yellow line. But satellite analysis shows Israel has now built earth barriers stretching more than 42 kilometres, covering 85 percent of that line. In some places, the barriers, which include deep ditches, extend hundreds of metres beyond the yellow line. One section in the south is 1.5 kilometres deeper inside Gaza.
The barriers are part of a broader push by Israel to expand its control. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said the military now controls more than 60 percent of Gaza, and in May he directed forces to increase that to 70 percent. The original deal was meant to leave Israel in temporary control of about 53 percent of the territory.
Beyond the earthworks, BBC Verify found evidence of 14 new Israeli bases and outposts built since the ceasefire near the yellow line, including two still under construction. A further seven existing positions have been extended or paved. The construction of these more permanent structures, alongside the barriers, has led analysts to conclude that Israel is turning the yellow line from a temporary boundary into an internal border.
The Israeli military said the physical barrier is one of a number of measures intended to prevent infiltrations and hostile activity, and to protect both troops and surrounding communities. But for Palestinian families who have already lost their homes to the war, the shifting line means further displacement. Residents in areas where the barriers are being built have told reporters they are being forced to move again, with nowhere left to go.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| Israel has expanded military infrastructure near the yellow line in Gaza since the ceasefire, including earth barriers and new bases. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focuses on the investigative findings of BBC Verify, using satellite imagery and mapping to detail the scale of construction. The tone is factual and neutral, but the framing emphasises the implications for Palestinian civilians and the potential permanence of Israel's presence, contrasting the military's stated security rationale with expert opinion that the yellow line is becoming an internal border.
- “The Israeli military are plowing ahead of what some experts say is effectively a permanent presence in Gaza.”
- “In places, the long barriers, some with deep ditches, have been built hundreds of metres beyond the yellow line.”
- “But one expert told us the new bases and barriers suggest Israel is turning the yellow line from a temporary boundary into what is effectively an internal border.”
Broadcast Timeline
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