UN Warns of Escalating Ethnic Cleansing Fears as Israel Shrinks Gaza's Usable Space

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a stark warning, stating that Israeli forces in Gaza are displacing more Palestinians, fueling concerns of ethnic cleansing. According to an OHCHR statement released on Friday, Palestinians are being repeatedly forced from their homes into an ever-diminishing portion of the besieged enclave.

The UN agency reported that the Israeli army is expanding its operations beyond its established deployment line, referred to as the “Yellow Line.” Human rights groups and aid organizations have consistently urged Israel to cease the forced displacement of Palestinians and attacks on shelters within Gaza. The OHCHR highlighted that Israeli forces appear to treat the Yellow Line as a “kill zone,” preventing Palestinians from returning to their homes on the other side.

Furthermore, the OHCHR cautioned that the Israeli military is actively destroying remaining civilian infrastructure and targeting displacement sites as it pursues its stated objective of increasing its military deployment area to encompass 70 percent of Gaza’s territory. The UN agency documented the Israeli military’s westward expansion over the past two weeks, which has led to new displacements in Shujayea, Gaza City, and in eastern Bureij, eastern Deir el-Balah, and eastern al-Maghazi in Central Gaza.

In Shujayea, the OHCHR noted at least two Israeli attacks on displacement camps, with explosive robots reportedly destroying the few remaining structures. The agency also received reports of an Israeli drone dropping munitions on a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians at the Shujayea junction on Sunday. The Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Gaza stated that the resulting fire displaced 200 families, totaling 800 people.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the OHCHR in occupied Palestine, described the “nightmare of displacement” in Gaza as both “acute and chronic.” He added, “Those displaced before the announcement of a ceasefire have little to no prospect of return to the areas they fled, most of which are inaccessible because they fall beyond the so-called Yellow Line. And they continue to be displaced again and again.”

Despite an ongoing ceasefire, Israeli attacks on Gaza have persisted. According to the enclave’s Ministry of Health, at least 1,574 people have been killed and 5,687 others wounded since the agreement took effect on October 11, 2025. Since the conflict began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 74,570 people and injuries to 175,808 others.