🔗 Share this article

Recent evidence indicate that Israel's defense forces are maintaining control over more area inside Gaza than initially anticipated under the truce agreement.

The Truce Deal and the Demarcation Boundary

Under the first stage of the deal, Israeli authorities committed to withdraw to a boundary line running along the northern, southern, and east edges of the Gaza Strip. The divide was designated by a distinctive line on official charts published by the military and has become known as the "Yellow Line."

However, recent videos and aerial photographs show that markers placed by Israel's troops in two locations to mark the boundary have been set hundreds of yards further within the territory than the expected pullback boundary.

Official Comments and Warnings

Israel's Defence Official Israel Katz—who ordered soldiers to place the yellow blocks—warned that individuals crossing the boundary "will be met with fire." There's been already been at minimum several fatal events near the demarcation line.

Upon approached, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) failed to address the claims, saying only that: "IDF troops under the military command have started marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to establish operational clarity on the ground."

Absence of Clarity and Confusion

There's existed a consistent absence of clarity about where exactly the demarcation will be established, with three separate charts published by the U.S. administration, former U.S. President, and the Israel's defense forces in the run up to the truce agreement that came into force on 10 October.

As of 14 October, the Israeli military issued the most recent edition showing the demarcation on their online map, which is used to communicate its stance to residents in the Gaza Strip.

Northern and South Gaza

In the north, close to the al-Atatra area, drone video from the IDF showed that a row of several distinctive blocks were as much as over 500 meters deeper inside the Strip than would have been expected from the official maps.

Video geolocated showed workers using heavy machinery and excavators to move the large yellow markers and position them along the coastal al-Rashid route.

A similar situation was observed in the south of Gaza, where a aerial image taken on 19 October showed 10 markers erected close to the urban area of Khan Younis. The line of blocks ranges between 180 meters-290m within the demarcation set out by the Israeli military.

Experts Analysis

Multiple analysts indicated that the markers were designed to establish a "safety area" separating local residents and IDF personnel. An expert stated the move would be in line with a ongoing "policy approach" that aims to insulate the state from adjacent areas it doesn't fully control.

"This gives the Israeli military room to operate and establish a 'engagement area' against possible threats," Dr Andreas Krieg said. "Possible targets can be targeted prior to they reach the military boundary. It is a somewhat like no man's land that does not belong to either side—and Israel often to acquire that land from the opponent's chunk not its territory."

Several experts proposed that the disparity between the indicators and the official map was an deliberate strategy to alert residents they are "entering an area of increased risk."

Noam Ostfeld noted that some blocks "seem to be placed close to pathways or walls, rendering them more straightforward to identify."

Civilian Uncertainty and Incidents

There is already uncertainty among Gazans over locations where it is secure to go.

A resident who resides near the interim demarcation in the east part of Gaza City's Shejaiya neighbourhood said that, notwithstanding promises from Israeli authorities of visible indicators, he had seen none installed.

"Daily, we can see Israeli military equipment and personnel at a relatively nearby range, yet we have no means of determining whether we are in what is deemed a 'safe zone' or 'an active danger zone'," he said. "We are continually exposed to risk, particularly since we are compelled to stay here since this is where our residence previously stood."

Since the truce came into effect, the Israeli military has documented a series of instances of individuals crossing the demarcation. On all instances the IDF stated it engaged those present.

Video obtained and geolocated depicted the consequences of one incident on October 17, which the local Civil Defence agency claimed resulted in the deaths of 11 non-combatants—including women and children reportedly reportedly from the identical family. The authority said the Palestinians' vehicle was targeted by Israeli forces following approaching the Yellow Line to the east of Gaza City in the Zeitoun area.

The video showed rescue personnel examining the destroyed remains of a car and shrouding a adjacent badly-mangled body of a minor with a light-colored cloth. Geolocation located the footage to a spot around 125m over the demarcation marked on charts by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military stated warning rounds were fired towards a "suspicious car" that had breached the line. The statement noted after the car failed to halt, troops opened fire "to eliminate the danger."

Juridical Status and Responsibilities

Meanwhile, the juridical standing of the demarcation has also been questioned.

"The state's responsibilities under the regulations of hostilities do not cease even for those violating the demarcation," said Dr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne. "It can only target enemy fighters or those directly participating in conflict, and in so doing it must avoid cause disproportionate civilian harm."

Officially, an Israeli military representative stated: "IDF forces under the military command persist to function to remove every threat to the troops and to protect the residents of the State of Israel."

The spokesperson added that the concrete markers are "being placed each 200 metres."

Context and Fatalities

Israeli authorities launched a defense operation in Gaza