Israeli forces are quietly but rapidly constructing a giant earthen barrier that separates the more than 50% of the Gaza Strip's territory under their control from the rest of the enclave. According to satellite imagery, this further entrenches the division of the tiny Palestinian territory, AP reports.

Over the past few months, more than 23 kilometers of fortifications have been built, cutting through Palestinian residential areas destroyed by the Israeli army. This exceeds half the total length of the coastal strip, which is about 40 kilometers long, up to 11 kilometers wide, and home to more than 2 million people.

After reviewing satellite images, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed to Associated Press the construction of a physical barrier along the area of the so-called "yellow line" — the boundary to which Israeli troops withdrew under the October ceasefire agreement with Hamas. In the U.S.-backed document, this line was regarded as a temporary territorial demarcation until the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.