Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation

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The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement in Gaza stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the so-called “Yellow Line” during the first phase of the ceasefire, which was supposed to be followed by Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip in the second phase of the ceasefire, if — and only if — Hamas decommissioned and handed over its weapons. Yet our lived reality in Gaza unequivocally contradicts the agreement’s claim that Israel would neither occupy nor annex our homes.

In addition to writing firsthand eyewitness accounts of what I see around me in Gaza, I also work to support humanitarian organizations aimed at reaching as many marginalized and destitute people as possible in order to alleviate their compounded suffering by offering water, a daily meal, blankets, makeshift tents, food parcels, and other life-sustaining essentials. Our efforts are aimed at reaching Gaza’s most neglected areas. Each shelter that we serve is carefully chosen based on the level of need and the vulnerability of the families inside.

When I started doing this humanitarian work, I knew, deep down, that this work might expose me to other kinds of horror; that I would have to absorb a scale of devastation from which there is no return — to offer solace warmly, to comfort trembling bodies, and to listen, and listen, and listen to never-ending, heart-wrenching, mind-blowing stories while sidelining my own.

Given the brittle ceasefire we are enduring, my co-workers and I realized that doing this humanitarian work would involve placing our lives on the front lines by moving through so many areas in the north, south, and central Gaza, while genocide may resume at any moment. Yet our people’s need for our help outweighed every fear we carried.

We had carried out many missions in Khan Younis before, where the Yellow Line had stretched from the south of northern Gaza, cutting through central areas, passing through Khan Younis, and reaching the outskirts of Rafah. This line has placed 53 percent of Gaza’s land under Israeli control, entrenching Gaza’s demographic and geopolitical division even further.

Israel Is Quietly Expanding Its Occupation of Gaza Under Cover of “Ceasefire”

The yellow concrete blocks were planted along our ravaged streets. Our vehicles were only a few kilometers away from them, yet still confined to what was labeled a “safe zone.” It is a lethal boundary, with Israeli forces killing anyone who gets close or crosses it naively.

Each time we, as a team, pass by it to reach our destination — not out of adventure but because we have no other option — I remember all those killed because of the illusion of the Yellow Line and the so-called safe zone. Israel does not comply with distances meant to keep, protect, or spare lives. It keeps increasing its reach, shrinking our area of supposed safety.

We drove down Salah al-Din Road, only to realize that the Yellow Line was ever-shifting, advancing into areas where we had been moving freely and comfortably just days........

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