🔗 Share this article

Recent evidence suggest that Israel's military forces are exercising control over a larger territory within the Gaza Strip than previously expected under the ceasefire deal.

This Ceasefire Deal and the Yellow Boundary

According to the initial stage of the agreement, Israel agreed to retreat to a demarcation border running along the northern, southern, and east edges of Gaza. This boundary was designated by a yellow marker on official charts released by the military and has become referred to as the "Demarcation Line."

However, recent videos and satellite images show that markers placed by Israeli troops in two areas to designate the divide have been set several hundreds of meters further inside the territory than the expected pullback boundary.

Government Statements and Advisories

Israeli Defense Official the defense minister—who ordered soldiers to place the yellow markers—warned that anyone crossing the line "will be confronted with fire." There have already been at minimum several deadly incidents near the boundary line.

Upon approached, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to the allegations, stating only that: "Israeli troops under the military command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza to establish operational understanding on the terrain."

Absence of Precision and Confusion

There's been a ongoing lack of precision regarding where precisely the demarcation will be established, with three different charts posted by the White House, former U.S. President, and the Israel's defense forces in the lead-up to the truce agreement that came into force on October 10.

On October 14, the Israeli military released the most recent edition showing the demarcation on their digital chart, which is used to convey its position to residents in the Gaza Strip.

Northern and South Gaza

Near the northern sector, adjacent to the al-Atatra neighbourhood, drone footage from the IDF revealed that a line of six yellow blocks were as much as over 500 meters deeper within the territory than was expected from the IDF charts.

Video geolocated depicted personnel operating heavy machinery and diggers to move the heavy yellow blocks and place them along the seaside al-Rashid route.

A similar situation was visible in the south of the Gaza Strip, where a aerial image taken on 19 October revealed 10 indicators erected close to the city of Khan Younis. The row of markers ranges from 180m-290m inside the demarcation set out by the Israeli military.

Analysts Analysis

Multiple experts indicated that the markers were intended to establish a "safety area" separating Palestinians and IDF personnel. An expert stated the move would be consistent with a long-term "policy approach" that aims to insulate the state from adjacent territories it doesn't fully administer.

"It provides the IDF space to operate and create a 'engagement area' against possible threats," an analyst said. "Potential threats can be targeted prior to they reach the military perimeter. It is a bit like unclaimed territory that does not belong to either side—and Israeli authorities tends to acquire that land from the adversary's portion not its own."

Several experts suggested that the difference separating the indicators and the IDF chart was an deliberate design to alert residents they are "approaching an area of increased danger."

Noam Ostfeld said that some markers "appear to be positioned close to pathways or walls, rendering them easier to identify."

Resident Confusion and Incidents

There is already confusion among Gazans over locations where it is safe to travel.

Abdel Qader Ayman Bakr living lives near the temporary boundary in the eastern part of Gaza City Shejaiya district said that, despite assurances from Israel of visible indicators, he had seen no such markers put in place.

"Each day, we can see Israeli military vehicles and personnel at a fairly close distance, but we have no way of knowing whether we are in what is deemed a 'secure area' or 'a hazardous location'," he explained. "We're continually vulnerable to danger, particularly since we are compelled to stay here since this is where our residence previously stood."

Since the ceasefire came into effect, the Israeli military has documented a series of cases of individuals crossing the Yellow Line. On each occasions the IDF stated it engaged those present.

Video acquired and geolocated depicted the aftermath of a incident on October 17, which the Hamas-run emergency agency claimed killed eleven civilians—including females and children reportedly allegedly from the identical household. The agency stated the local vehicle was attacked by Israel after crossing the demarcation east of Gaza City in the Zeitoun area.

The footage showed emergency personnel examining the destroyed remnants of a vehicle and covering a nearby severely damaged remains of a child with a white cloth. Verification placed the video to a location approximately 125 meters over the demarcation marked on charts by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military said warning rounds were fired at a "suspect vehicle" that had breached the line. The announcement noted when the car did not to stop, troops opened fire "to remove the threat."

Legal Standing and Responsibilities

Meanwhile, the juridical standing of the boundary has also been challenged.

"Israel's responsibilities under the regulations of hostilities cannot cease even for those violating the Yellow Line," said a legal expert. "The military can only target enemy fighters or those actively involved in conflict, and in such actions it must not cause excessive non-combatant casualties."

In a statement, an Israel's defense spokesperson stated: "Israeli forces under the military command persist to function to remove any danger to the personnel and to protect the civilians of the State of Israel."

The spokesperson added that the concrete blocks are "positioned every 200 metres."

Background and Casualties

Israeli authorities initiated a military campaign in the Gaza Strip