The Israeli occupation army has begun marking a new set of boundaries known as the “yellow line” inside the Gaza Strip.

Footage circulating on Monday showed Israeli military vehicles transporting large concrete barriers painted in yellow — a visible symbol of Israel’s continued presence within Gaza. The decision reportedly came under the direct orders of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who instructed occupation forces to enforce the line immediately.

According to Israel Hayom, Gallant sent a message through the American monitoring mechanism warning that “any Hamas member found behind the yellow line must vacate the area immediately.” He further threatened that anyone remaining within those zones would be considered a “target for attack without prior warning,” effectively granting the Israeli army unrestricted authority to strike at will.

Analysts view this as a blatant violation of the ceasefire terms, which were meant to lead to Israel’s gradual withdrawal from Gaza. Instead, the new “yellow line” demarcation appears to entrench the military’s control, particularly over the 53 percent of the Strip that lies within the designated zone — much of it in sparsely populated or agricultural areas vital to Gaza’s livelihood.

While the occupation army has not deployed full ground control throughout this entire area, large numbers of its forces remain positioned along the Gaza border and in surrounding territories, maintaining an active blockade on movement and reconstruction efforts.

Palestinian political groups condemned the move as a dangerous escalation aimed at formalizing Israel’s occupation zones inside Gaza under the guise of “security demarcation.” Rights advocates argue that the “yellow line” represents a de facto reoccupation, obstructing the implementation of the ceasefire and undermining ongoing mediation efforts led by Qatar and Türkiye.

Sources close to the mediation process stated that future phases of the ceasefire agreement were meant to see a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, the current developments raise doubts about Israel’s commitment to any genuine disengagement.

For Palestinians on the ground, the appearance of new barriers is a painful reminder that the promises of “peace” and “withdrawal” continue to mask a deeper policy of military dominance and territorial control.

The Gaza Strip remains devastated after more than a year of relentless Israeli bombardment, with tens of thousands of civilians killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and vast areas reduced to rubble — even as Israel now seeks to redraw the map of the territory it claims to have left. (ILKHA)