Israeli Military Expands Control in Gaza Beyond Ceasefire Agreements

The Israeli military is exerting control over more of Gaza than expected from the ceasefire deal with Hamas, a BBC Verify analysis has found.

Under the first stage of the deal, Israel agreed to retreat to a boundary running along the north, south and east of Gaza. The divide was marked by a yellow line on maps released by the military and has become known as the 'Yellow Line'.

But new videos and satellite images show that markers placed by Israeli troops in two areas to mark the divide have been positioned hundreds of metres deeper inside the strip than the expected withdrawal line.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz - who instructed troops to place the yellow blocks as markers - warned that anyone crossing the line 'will be met with fire'. There have already been at least two deadly incidents near the boundary line.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not address the allegations when approached by BBC Verify, stating simply that: 'IDF troops under the Southern Command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to establish tactical clarity on the ground.'

There has been a consistent lack of clarity as to where exactly the boundary will be imposed, with three separate maps posted by the White House, Donald Trump, and the Israeli military in the run-up to the ceasefire agreement which came into force on 10 October.

On 14 October, the IDF issued the latest version marking the Yellow Line on their online map, which is used to communicate its position to people in Gaza.

But in the north, near the al-Atatra neighbourhood, drone footage from the IDF showed that a line of six yellow blocks were up to 520m further inside the Strip than would have been expected from the IDF maps.

Footage geolocated by BBC Verify showed workers using bulldozers and diggers to move the heavy yellow blocks and place them along the coastal al-Rashid road.

A similar situation was visible in southern Gaza, where a satellite image taken on 19 October showed 10 markers erected near the city of Khan Younis. The line of blocks ranges between 180m-290m inside the Yellow Line set out by the IDF.

If these two sections of boundary were typical of how the markers were being placed along the entirety of the line then Israel would be exerting control over a notably larger area than expected from the ceasefire agreement.

Multiple analysts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the blocks were intended to create a 'buffer zone' between Palestinians and IDF personnel. One expert said the move would be consistent with a long-term 'strategic culture' which seeks to insulate Israel from nearby territories it does not fully control.

This gives the IDF space to manoeuvre and create a 'kill zone' against potential targets, according to Dr. Andreas Krieg, associate professor at King's College London. Potential targets can be engaged before they reach the IDF perimeter. It is a bit like no man's land that does not belong to anyone – and Israel tends to take that territory from the opponent's chunk, not its own.

Noam Ostfeld, an analyst with the risk consultancy Sibylline, noted that some blocks seem to be positioned near roads or walls, making them easier to spot.

Abdel Qader Ayman Bakr, a resident near the temporary boundary in the eastern part of Gaza City's Shejaiya district, expressed confusion over his safety: 'Each day, we can see Israeli military vehicles and soldiers at a relatively close distance, yet we have no way of knowing whether we are in what is considered a 'safe zone' or 'an active danger zone.'

Since the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF has reported instances of people crossing the Yellow Line. On all occasions, the IDF said it fired upon those involved.

The IDF stated: 'IDF troops under the Southern Command continue to operate to remove any threat to the troops and to defend the civilians of the State of Israel.' Adversely, the legal status and the implications of the boundary remain questioned by legal experts.

Israel's obligations under the law of armed conflict do not cease even for those breaching the Yellow Line, according to Dr. Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, professor of Public International Law at the University of Bristol.

In summary, the developments suggest an escalation in tensions and a pressing need for clarity in communication and boundaries amidst a chaotic situation in Gaza.