Photos show Israel building a miles-long earthen barrier inside Gaza

The Israeli military is quietly but quickly building a giant earthen barrier separating the over 50% of the Gaza Strip it controls from the rest of the territory, according to satellite imagery, further entrenching the division of the Palestinian enclave.

More than 23 kilometers (14 miles) have been constructed in recent months, running through towns demolished by the military. That is equivalent to more than half the length of the coastal strip, which is some 40 kilometers (25 miles) long and 11 kilometers (7 miles) wide, and home to over 2 million Palestinians.

When presented with the satellite images, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed to The Associated Press it has built a physical barrier in the area of the Yellow Line, the boundary to which Israeli troops withdrew under the October ceasefire deal with Hamas. The line was envisioned in the US-backed agreement as a temporary division of the territory pending a fuller Israeli withdrawal.

But as the truce stagnates, with Hamas refusing to demilitarize and give up control of the Strip, it appears Israel is digging in, heightening Palestinian fears that the line is morphing into a border.

Neither US Central Command, which is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, nor the Board of Peace, the body led by US President Donald Trump meant to eventually oversee Gaza, would comment on the barrier.

Along with the barrier, the military tells AP it has developed a “security zone” around the line, equipped with intelligence and technological assets. It declines to give details on the route of the barrier when asked how far it would be extended. It says the barrier aims to prevent infiltration and protect Israeli troops and Israeli communities near Gaza.