RAMALLAH, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian National Council Chairman Rawhi Fattouh said on Tuesday that the Israeli army's creation of the so-called "orange line" in the Gaza Strip aims to seize more land and shrink the territory.
In a press statement, Fattouh said, "The so-called orange line ... is an extension of colonial policies aimed at seizing more land, shrinking the enclave, and imposing a forced reality" on the Palestinian people.
Fattouh emphasized his condemnation and rejection of any control over the Gaza Strip's land, considering these "measures, along with what is known as the yellow line, to be a colonial and ethnic cleansing approach aimed at displacing the population."
He added that Israel controls over 59 percent of the enclave's area, which constitutes "a blatant violation of international law and signed agreements."
The Israeli army has not issued any official comment on the creation of the "orange line." However, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported Monday that the Israeli army has pushed the so-called "yellow line" westward in the Gaza Strip, thereby forming what is referred to as the "orange line."
The "yellow line" is known as the line of withdrawal of the Israeli army during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. It extends into the Gaza Strip for a distance of between 1.5 and 6.5 km from the eastern border.
The "yellow line" separates the areas under Israeli control in the eastern Gaza Strip from the areas where Palestinians are permitted to live. ■
