Israel maintaining control deeper inside Gaza than expected, new boundary markers suggest

An analysis conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) showed that the Israeli army exercises control over a larger area of ​​the Gaza Strip than expected from the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Under the first phase of the deal, Israel agreed to retreat to the borders extending along northern, southern and eastern Gaza. This division was marked with a yellow line on maps issued by the army and became known as the “Yellow Line.”

But new videos and satellite images show that markings placed by Israeli forces in two areas to mark the gap were placed hundreds of meters deeper inside the sector than the expected line of withdrawal.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz – who ordered troops to place yellow blocks as markers – warned that anyone crossing the line “will be met with fire.” At least two fatal accidents have already occurred near the border line.

The IDF did not address the allegations when contacted by BBC Verification, simply saying: “IDF forces under Southern Command have begun to define the yellow line in the Gaza Strip to achieve tactical clarity on the ground.”

It has been consistent there Lack of clarity regarding exactly where limits will be imposedwith three separate maps published by the White House, Donald Trump, and the Israeli military in the run-up to the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10.

On October 14, the IDF released the final version marking the yellow line on its electronic map, which is used to communicate its position to people in Gaza.

But in the north, near the Atatreh neighbourhood, drone footage taken by the IDF showed that a line of six yellow blocks lay up to 520 meters further into the enclave than had been expected from IDF maps.

Geo-tagged footage by BBC Verify showed workers using bulldozers and excavators to move the heavy yellow blocks and place them along the Al-Rashid coastal road.

A similar situation arose in southern Gaza, where a satellite image taken on October 19 showed 10 markers erected near the city of Khan Yunis. The block line ranges between 180m-290m within the yellow line defined by the Israel Defense Forces.

If these two sections of the border are typical of how markings are drawn up along the entire line, Israel will exercise control over a significantly larger area than expected from the ceasefire agreement.

Several analysts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the blocs were intended to create a “buffer zone” between Palestinians and members of the Israeli military. One expert said the move would be consistent with a long-term “strategic culture” that seeks to isolate Israel from neighboring territories it does not fully control.

“This gives the IDF room to maneuver and create a kill zone against potential targets,” said Dr. Andreas Krieg, associate professor at King’s College London.

“Potential targets can be engaged before they reach the IDF perimeter. It’s a bit like no man’s land that belongs to no one – and Israel tends to seize that territory from the opponent’s plot rather than from its own.”

Three experts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested that the contrast between the markings and the IDF map was a deliberate design to warn civilians that they were “approaching an area of ​​heightened risk”.

Some of the blocks “appear to be placed near roads or walls, making them easier to spot,” said Noam Ostfeld, an analyst at risk consultancy Sibilin.

But a post by the Israeli Defense Minister to X appears to indicate that the yellow blocks indicate the actual line, warning that “any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire.”

There is already confusion among Gazans about which areas are safe to go to.

Abdul Qader Ayman Bakr, who lives near the temporary border in the eastern part of the Shujaiya area of ​​Gaza City, told the BBC that despite Israel’s promises to put up clear signs, he had not seen anything being put up.

He said: “Every day, we can see Israeli military vehicles and soldiers at a relatively close distance, but we have no way of knowing whether we are in what is considered a ‘safe zone’ or an ‘active danger zone’.”

“We are constantly exposed to danger, especially since we are forced to stay here because this is where our home used to be.”

Since the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF has reported a number of cases in which people crossed the yellow line. On all occasions, the Israeli army said it opened fire on those involved.

BBC Verify has obtained and geolocated footage showing the aftermath of an incident on October 17, which the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said resulted in the deaths of 11 civilians – including women and children, all from the same family. The agency said that Israel targeted the Palestinian car after it crossed the yellow line east of Gaza City in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

The footage showed rescue workers inspecting the burnt remains of a car and covering the badly mutilated body of a child near a white sheet. BBC Verify geolocated the video at a location approximately 125 meters above the yellow line marked by the Israeli military on maps.

The Israeli army said that warning shots were fired at a “suspicious vehicle” that crossed the line. The statement added that when the vehicle failed to stop the forces, they opened fire to “remove the threat.”

At the same time, the legal status of the border has also been called into question.

“Israel’s obligations under the law of armed conflict do not stop even for those who violate the Yellow Line,” said Dr. Lawrence Hill Cawthorn, Professor of Public International Law at the University of Bristol.

“It can only target enemy combatants or those directly participating in hostilities, and as such must not cause excessive harm to civilians.”

An Israeli army spokesman said in a statement: “IDF forces under Southern Command continue to work to eliminate any threat to the forces and to defend civilians in the State of Israel.”

They added that concrete blocks are placed every 200 metres.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

At least 68,280 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Strip.

Additional reporting by Erwan Rivolt, Lamis Talbi and Maha El Gamal