Indonesia rejects all efforts to strengthen the occupation in the Palestinian territories

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang. (Abi/Infomed/Kemlu RI)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, emphasized that Indonesia rejects all efforts to strengthen the occupation in the Palestinian territories, asking Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Israel is reported to have shifted what is called the Yellow Line, a demarcation line that divides the Gaza Strip into two parts, an eastern side of 47 percent under Palestinian control and 53 percent on the western side under Israeli control, based on a peace plan and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip initiated by US President Donald Trump.

Yvonne said, "The Yellow Line is not officially discussed in the United Nation Security Council Resolution 2803." However, he ensured that Indonesia observed the shift in the demarcation.

"We reject all attempts to change or strengthen the occupation in the Palestinian territories, including attempts made through unilateral shifts or expansions, the so-called 'yellow line'," Yvonne told the media, Tuesday (12/5).

"There must be no annexation, demographic change or new territorial creation in Gaza," he continued.

"Indonesia calls on Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement and end the conflict in Gaza in line with Resolution 2803," he said, adding that Indonesia continues to emphasize the importance of the Two-State Resolution.

Quoted from CNN, President Trump in his post on Truth Social on October 4, 2025 for the first time shared a map of the Israeli troop withdrawal line in accordance with the peace plan he proposed in October 2025. Israeli troops will be withdrawn to the area behind the Yellow Line in the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza ceasefire is known to take effect from October 10, 2025.

Late last month, Israel reportedly moved a yellow block marking the yellow line to the west along Salah Al Din Street - the main route connecting the north and south of the Gaza Strip.

The New Arab quoted Arabic-language media reports as saying that the Israeli army had turned the so-called Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip into a new border, through the establishment of dozens of new military posts.

Meanwhile, the Arabi21 report said the presence of checkpoints meant the military presence in the area was no longer temporary and effectively turned the Yellow Line into a new border.

Israeli forces put up a yellow-painted concrete block as a marker for the Yellow Line. (Wikimedia Commons/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Since Israel established the Green Line in October, the army has targeted and killed every Palestinian who approaches it, and has used the empty area around it to set up military posts.

According to reports, streetlights have been installed around the posts, and can be seen from the higher western part of Gaza.

The forward posts are mostly located in the buffer zone between Rafah and Khan Younis, with other posts in the Ma'an and Bani Suheila areas, as well as east of Deir al-Balah, al-Bureij, Shujaiya, and al-Maghazi.

For six months since the ceasefire, Israeli forces have shifted the agreed ceasefire line in Gaza to the west, expanding their control zone and making the precarious situation more dangerous for Palestinians, The Guardian reported.

The Yellow Line agreed to in the US-mediated ceasefire was supposed to be temporary pending further Israeli troop withdrawals, but the ceasefire, which was partially adhered to, stalled after its first phase amid disputes over Hamas disarmament, and continued Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Since then, the yellow line has shifted forward in some places, expanding the military-held territory far beyond the 53 percent of Gaza implied in the original truce map.

According to the research institute Forensic Architecture, in December Israel had seized 58 percent of Gaza's territory and continued to advance.

Hamas senior official Bassem Naim told Anadolu, Israel has shifted the line by 8 to 9 percent into Gaza territory, thus increasing the area under Israeli control to more than 60 percent.

The changes have reduced the space available to Palestinians to about 38 percent of the enclave, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The announcement triggered a new wave of displacement, particularly in Khan Younis, eastern Gaza, and parts of northern Gaza, as families moved further west to escape the shelling.

This is also accompanied by air raids, artillery fire, and direct fire that have killed and injured Palestinians, often with claims of approaching or crossing the original line.

Meanwhile, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Israeli authorities had introduced new limits outside the Yellow Line, which the humanitarian team called the "orange line."

"Now there is another color line. The line called the orange line has been introduced to our humanitarian colleagues," Dujarric told Anadolu.

He said the UN team had been told any movement beyond the line must be coordinated with Israeli authorities first.

"We have been informed that beyond these lines, humanitarian teams are expected to coordinate their movements in advance. This is in accordance with areas with increased risk of fighting and a higher probability of meeting Israeli forces," he added.

Officials and analysts warn that the ever-shifting boundaries risk becoming de facto reality on the ground.

Hamas had also warned of this change. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Israel's move violated the terms of the ceasefire brokered by mediators last October.

"The continued violations are exhausting civilians and limiting their lives," Qassem said, calling on mediators to intervene and ensure compliance, launching The National.

"We hold the Israeli side and the mediators responsible for the continuation of these violations and violations of the rights of the people of Gaza in various ways," Qassem said.

"As well as continuing policies that exhaust civilians, hinder their movement, and restrict their lives," he said.

Israeli officials have hinted at such a possibility.

Earlier this year, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the "Green Line" as a "new border line" and a forward defense line. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Katz said Israeli forces would remain in the area until Hamas was disarmed.