Shelling at night, gunfire by day in Israel's expanding zone of control in Gaza
Israeli military control in Gaza has expanded to nearly 70% of the territory, significantly restricting movement and aid operations. Residents in areas like al-Shujaiya face daily uncertainty and fear as military presence increases.
Why it matters
The expansion of military zones directly impacts the humanitarian crisis and the viability of future peace negotiations in the region.
GAZA CITY, Gaza, and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — On a small rickety table, under a tent made of worn-out tarps, four friends meet for a game of cards.
One of the older men gripes to the others: "Life is so boring." Like most in Gaza, the group of men are unemployed with no hope on the horizon as President Trump's peace plan, which calls for Israeli withdrawal, new governance in Gaza and Hamas' disarmament, stalls nine months after the ceasefire was brokered.
Still, the men meet almost every afternoon, about 400 yards from their homes in the neighborhood of al-Shujaiya in eastern Gaza City. But each day, as the sun begins to set, the men have nowhere else to seek shelter and no choice but to return to their bombed-out homes where they hunker down for the night.
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