UN says Israeli fire bombs force families to flee in Gaza

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that Israeli fire bomb attacks forced families in Gaza to flee overnight, and that the expansion of the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ is preventing families from returning to their homes. People in the Beit Lahia area of the North Gaza Governorate were displaced during the night. OCHA reported that around midnight, approximately 30 households were displaced as tanks advanced towards the Al Atatra Junction in Beit Lahia. According to reports, a quadcopter drone dropped incendiary munitions that caused three tents to catch fire. Although most families were able to return after the forces withdrew, six households remain displaced because a yellow concrete block was installed near their residences. The placement of such blocks signals the expansion of the so-called Yellow Line, a boundary marker where lethal force is frequently used, into residential areas. Humanitarian partners are assisting families who have been newly displaced or have lost their belongings. Last week, partners responded to emergency alerts affecting 135 households. After conducting rapid needs assessments, the partners provided tents, blankets, hygiene and self-care kits, jerry cans, and tarpaulins to the displaced through the Joint Rapid Distribution Mechanism. Most of the recently affected families are victims of the attack. Dozens of other families fled from areas along the Yellow Line following the entry of Israeli forces and the installation of yellow concrete blocks. A small number of residents received aid after house fires or flooding, OCHA explained. The UN office detailed that the majority of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents remain displaced. OCHA also warned that providing more durable shelter requires permission to bring building materials and equipment into the Gaza Strip to remove rubble and explosives.