[News] Israel Is Preparing for a Permanent Presence in Gaza, Satellite Images Reveal

Sat Dec 20 11:27:31 EST 2025

Since the ceasefire, Israel has constructed at least 13 new military 
outposts inside Gaza, consolidated existing military infrastructure, 
built roads, and destroyed more Palestinian property.
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for more

  Israel Is Preparing for a Permanent Presence in Gaza, Satellite Images
  Reveal
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      Since the ceasefire, Israel has constructed at least 13 new
      military outposts inside Gaza, consolidated existing military
      infrastructure, built roads, and destroyed more Palestinian property.

Forensic Architecture <https://substack.com/@forensicarchitecture> and 
Drop Site News <https://substack.com/@dropsitenews>

Dec 20, 2025

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<https://substack.com/redirect/8a590a20-024e-400d-905d-9ce93ecc0b9a?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>Israel 
is currently maintaining 48 military outposts east of the yellow line. 
Image by Forensic Architecture.

Since the so-called ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on October 10, 
Israel has been consolidating its control of over 50% of Gaza 
and—according to new research by Forensic Architecture—physically 
altering the geography of the land. Through a combination of the 
construction of military infrastructure alongside the destruction of 
existing buildings, Israel appears to be laying the groundwork to 
establish a permanent presence in the majority of the Gaza Strip.

Israel has constructed at least 13 new military outposts inside Gaza 
since the ceasefire—primarily located along the yellow line, in eastern 
Khan Younis, and near the border with Israel, according to analysis of 
satellite imagery by Forensic Architecture.

“Israel is doing what it always does, and what it historically has done 
best: establish ‘facts on the ground,’ incrementally rather than 
spectacularly, and make them permanent once those with influence to 
force it to reverse course either lose interest, decide that the cost of 
confronting Israel is not worth the price, or come out in open support 
of Israeli violations. Israel is in no rush and prepared to play the 
long game,” Mouin Rabbani, co-editor of Jadaliyya and a former UN 
official who worked as a senior analyst on Israel-Palestine for the 
International Crisis Group, told Drop Site after reviewing a summary of 
the Forensic Architecture findings.

The analysis 
<https://substack.com/redirect/85cfb4d9-c46f-4195-9875-7bdfde2d7f47?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>also 
shows that, between October 10 and December 2, 2025, Israel has:

  *

    Accelerated the growth and infrastructure development of 48 existing
    military outposts inside Gaza.

  *

    Expanded a network of roads connecting military outposts inside Gaza
    to the Israeli road network, bases and settlements outside of Gaza.

  *

    Continued construction that began in September 2025 of a new road in
    Khan Younis, re-routing the Magen Oz corridor to run within Israel’s
    area of control.

  *

    Engaged in the systematic demolition and destruction of Palestinian
    property, particularly in eastern Khan Younis, targeting areas which
    haven’t already been destroyed. New military outposts and roads have
    emerged across this area.

“Augmenting multiple Israeli statements about extending its borders with 
buffer zones to the north, east, and south, this is indisputably an 
Israeli campaign to partition the Gaza Strip and thereby promote its 
long-term objective of moving the Palestinian population elsewhere,” 
Rabbani said. “At the same time, Israeli success is not a foregone 
conclusion. If it was, the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip 
would have been ethnically cleansed years if not decades ago.”

As part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli 
military partially withdrew to what became known as the “yellow line,” 
with over half of Gaza under continued Israeli control. The term comes 
from a map that was distributed in late September as part of President 
Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan that depicted a phased withdrawal 
of Israeli troops, to an initial yellow line, followed by another 
withdrawal, until an eventual pullback to a “buffer zone” running inside 
Gaza along the border with Israel.

	<https://substack.com/redirect/a59b874b-d706-42ca-9b48-884f116feef5?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

The original withdrawal map according to President Trump’s 20-point Gaza 
plan.

Trump then posted a new map showing the initial withdrawal line that 
left Israel in control of 58% of Gaza. After the ceasefire came into 
effect, an Israeli military spokespersonposted 
<https://substack.com/redirect/1837fc28-2204-4c4e-bffc-e0cb567d2ca6?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>yet 
another map with the yellow line showing Israel in control of 53% of Gaza.

Since the ceasefire, Israel has seized more land by physically placing 
at least 27 yellow blocks (delineating its area of control) west of the 
yellow line marked in Israel’s own maps.

(Left) Satellite image from 7 Nov 2025, showing the distance of yellow 
blocks from the ‘yellow line’ in Sheikh Nasser neighborhood, Khan 
Younis. Source: Planet Labs LBC. (Right) Ground-level image of the 
yellow blocks in Sheikh Nasser neighborhood, Khan Younis. Source: 
@AmitSegal.

Point 16 of Trump’s 20-point plan explicitly states, “Israel will not 
occupy or annex Gaza. As the [International Stabilization Force (ISF)] 
establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will 
withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to 
demilitarization.” It goes on to say, “Practically, the IDF will 
progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF 
according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority 
until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security 
perimeter presence.”

While the “standards, milestones, and timeframes” around Israel’s 
withdrawal have been highly contentious, they are nevertheless the 
principal subject of ongoing negotiations. However, the analysis by 
Forensic Architecture clearly shows that Israel is consolidating its 
military presence on the ground east of the yellow line in a way that 
suggests no intention of a further withdrawal.

These findings come as the Trump administration is reportedly planning 
the construction of a number of residential compounds, dubbed 
“Alternative Safe Communities,” in areas east of the yellow line to 
provide housing to tens of thousands of Palestinians, with no 
construction allowed on the west side, that appear to be part of a plan 
to entrench the partition of Gaza and allow for permanent Israeli 
control over more than half of the enclave.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Full Forensic Architecture Analysis

      Israel’s network of military infrastructure

Within Gaza, Israel is currently maintaining 48 military outposts east 
of the yellow line. The outposts are connected to a network of roads 
which have been created, expanded or appropriated by the Israeli 
military. In turn, these link to Israeli bases, roads, and settlements 
outside of Gaza.

	<https://substack.com/redirect/85cfb4d9-c46f-4195-9875-7bdfde2d7f47?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

      New Israeli military outposts

Since the ceasefire came into effect, Forensic Architecture observed 
three changes to Israeli military outposts east of the ‘yellow line’:

1. An increase in the number of outposts in locations strategic for 
occupation.

2. The expansion of outposts.

3. The development of outpost infrastructure.

Forensic Architecture documented 13 new outposts since the ceasefire. 
They are primarily located along the ‘yellow line’, in east Khan Younis, 
and near Gaza’s border.

	<https://substack.com/redirect/bfa62e9c-6227-4b43-9b1d-16cf45cc91ca?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

      Case study: New military outpost in Jabaliya

At a new outpost in Jabaliya, a densely populated tent area was 
dismantled, and Israel demolished the surrounding buildings. In their 
place, Israel carved a road, built berms, and constructed buildings on 
the outpost. The largest berms measure 75 by 65 meters.

The outpost was constructed on high ground, and is visible on 26 
November in a ground-level photograph taken from the west side of the 
‘yellow line’, where Palestinians have been forcibly displaced to. The 
two areas are separated by a strip of destruction. From this vantage 
point, you can see the berms making up the outpost, with lights atop 
them, and the vehicles likely used to construct the outpost.

	<https://substack.com/redirect/50d1f8bf-e7d0-4dd9-8595-6d5b226d7a1f?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

	<https://substack.com/redirect/43b25c9e-8a17-40db-9d1a-b93449525504?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

Photograph taken on 26 November 2025 in Jabaliya, west of the 'yellow 
line', looking towards an Israeli military outpost east of the 'yellow 
line. Source: @mahmoud__abusalama 
<https://substack.com/redirect/1bf6633d-7264-4af3-9876-fe26e691dda5?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>

      Israel is rerouting existing military infrastructure to fall
      within its area of control

In mid-July 2025, the Israeli military announced the completion of the 
Magen Oz corridor, a 15-kilometer military road separating the city of 
Khan Younis into its eastern and western parts. Since September, Israel 
has been constructing a new road in Khan Younis, re-routing the Magen Oz 
corridor to run within its area of control.

	<https://substack.com/redirect/d104dddc-4ee8-4aa4-b8ba-5eb23c096410?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

      Destruction in east Khan Younis

Military expansion is occurring alongside continued destruction east of 
the ‘yellow line’.

The largest body of land under Israel’s control is in the south of Gaza, 
and includes Rafah and eastern Khan Younis, which remains densely packed 
with private property. Here, since the ceasefire, Israel has been 
destroying buildings not previously destroyed, and constructed new 
military outposts and roads across the area.

Nearby, demolition vehicles (A) are visible on the border.

	<https://substack.com/redirect/0f4d5b89-ac7f-4b1e-aaee-f8aec65a2ca6?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

	<https://substack.com/redirect/991fa9db-9e6a-44cf-8b77-ed6a71cf10e1?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM> 	

Military outpost in Khan Younis, on the border of Gaza, connected by 
road to a military crossing in which demolition and military vehicles 
are visible. 5 November 2025. Source: Planet Labs LBC 
<https://substack.com/redirect/3d2a46ef-01db-4a82-b538-c656eb649f9d?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>.

For more detail, including additional maps and data, visit 
gaza.forensic-architecture.org/database 
<https://substack.com/redirect/8ca383f8-ab02-46f2-b507-308c56667205?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>or 
forensic-architecture.org/location/palestine 
<https://substack.com/redirect/cc3a3adf-ccd3-4815-a674-853ce154f01f?j=eyJ1IjoibHZwcGIifQ.9RIwWbE6EVIB7Jy8lfazxZKfps8R18neRGMKwOiqnRM>

A guest post by
Forensic Architecture 
<https://substack.com/@forensicarchitecture?utm_campaign=guest_post_bio&utm_medium=email> 

Forensic Architecture is a research agency based at Goldsmiths, 
University of London. Our investigations employ cutting-edge techniques 
in spatial analysis and digital modelling to reconstruct incidents of 
state violence and human rights violations.

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