Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned that Israel is progressively "asphyxiating" the Gaza Strip, as Palestinians face shrinking living space, continued attacks, and the systematic destruction of the conditions necessary for survival three years into the genocidal war.
In a statement marking three years of Israel's assault on Gaza, MSF said the space in which Palestinians can live is "vanishing," while access to essential supplies, healthcare, clean water and vital infrastructure is being increasingly restricted or destroyed.
"Israel is progressively asphyxiating Gaza, Palestine, and continuing its genocide," MSF said, warning that the destruction is being carried out through continued Israeli attacks, the blockade of essential supplies, and the destruction of healthcare and critical infrastructure.
'A Mechanism of Encirclement'
The organization said Israel's establishment and expansion of the so-called "Yellow Line" has made the physical confinement of Palestinians increasingly definitive.
Originally presented as a temporary military withdrawal position under the US-backed ceasefire arrangement, the line has since been reinforced with military positions, berms and ongoing demolitions and has continued moving westward, further reducing the area available to Palestinians.
According to MSF, Israeli forces now occupy approximately 65 percent of the Gaza Strip, with the "Yellow Line" effectively being used to establish a boundary around the area under Israeli military control.
MSF said the movement of the "Yellow Line" has intensified the dangers faced by Palestinians living nearby, particularly because its boundaries are not clearly or consistently demarcated.
"The Yellow Line cannot be treated simply as a line on a map," said Amande Bazerolle, MSF's head of emergency response in Gaza.
"It has become a mechanism of encirclement and ethnic cleansing, while cutting communities off from the infrastructure, healthcare, water and other essentials they need to survive," Bazerolle added.
As Palestinians are pushed into increasingly confined areas, families are being forced to live in overcrowded and increasingly unlivable conditions, with insufficient access to clean water, sanitation, shelter and healthcare, MSF said.
The organization warned that these conditions are contributing to the spread of disease across the enclave.
Healthcare System Pushed to the Brink
MSF also highlighted the dramatic deterioration of healthcare in Gaza over the past three years, saying hospitals have increasingly struggled to obtain basic supplies while patients face growing barriers to essential medicines and treatment.
Restrictions on supplies including engine oil and spare parts are also undermining the infrastructure required to keep hospitals, ambulances and water systems operational.
MSF said generators are already breaking down, while water-trucking operations have been reduced, further worsening conditions for a population already facing severe shortages of basic necessities.
The destruction extends far beyond the healthcare sector. MSF said more than 80 percent of structures across Gaza have been damaged, compounding the consequences of repeated displacement and violence.
The organization warned that the physical and psychological effects of the war will persist long after the current crisis, making meaningful recovery increasingly difficult.
"It will take generations to recover from the harm that has already been done over the past three years, and in the preceding decades, while the excruciating consequences of Israel's ongoing genocide are still being felt every day," Bazerolle said.
MSF said the destruction, displacement and deprivation facing Palestinians have become normalized, accusing Israel of carrying out these practices with impunity.
"Destruction, displacement and deprivation have become normalised — practices Israel is carrying out with impunity," Bazerolle said.
"Governments must act now to ensure Israel stops the destruction and killing, prevents ethnic cleansing, and stops denying Palestinians the means of survival," she added.
MSF called on governments to take immediate action to ensure Israel ends the destruction and killing in Gaza and prevents the forced displacement of Palestinians.
The warning comes as Palestinians across Gaza continue to face the consequences of widespread destruction, mass displacement and the collapse of essential services, while Israeli forces maintain control over large parts of the enclave despite the ceasefire.
