Israel maintains control deeper into Gaza than expected, new border markers indicate

The Israeli army is in control of more of Gaza than expected under a ceasefire deal with Hamas, a BBC Verify analysis has found.

Under the first stage of the deal, Israel agreed to withdraw to a border running north, south and east of Gaza. The division was marked by a yellow line on maps published by the military and became known as the “Yellow Line”.

But new videos and satellite images show that markers placed by Israeli troops in two zones to mark the division were positioned hundreds of meters deeper into the strip than the expected withdrawal line.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz – who instructed troops to place the yellow blocks as markers – warned that anyone who crossed the line “will be met with fire”. There have already been at least two deadly incidents near the border.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) played down the allegations when they spoke to BBC Verify, saying 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 was a consistent lack of clarity where exactly the boundary will be imposedwith three separate maps released by the White House, Donald Trump and the Israeli military in the run-up to the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10.

On October 14, the IDF released the latest version marking the yellow line on their online map, which is used to communicate their position to the people of Gaza.

But to the north, near the al-Atatra neighborhood, IDF drone footage shows that a line of six yellow blocks is up to 520m further into the Strip than IDF maps would suggest.

Footage geolocated 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 was visible in southern Gaza, where a satellite image taken on October 19 showed 10 markers erected near the town of Khan Younis. The line of blocks varies between 180m-290m inside the yellow line defined by the IDF.

If these two sections of the border were typical of how the markers were placed along the entire line, then Israel would be exercising control over a significantly larger area than expected under the cease-fire agreement.

Multiple analysts who spoke to BBC Verify suggested the blocks were intended to create a “buffer zone” between Palestinians and IS personnel. One expert said the move would be consistent with a long-term “strategic culture” that seeks to isolate Israel from nearby 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 attacked before they reach the IDF perimeter. It’s a bit like a no-man’s land that belongs to no one – and Israel tends to take that territory from the enemy’s side rather than its own.”

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

Noam Ostfeld, an analyst at risk consultancy Sibylline, said some blocks “appear to be located close to roads or walls, making them easier to spot”.

But a post to X by Israel’s defense minister appeared to suggest that the yellow blocks marked 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 the areas where it is safe to go.

Abdel Kader Ayman Bakr, who lives near the temporary border in the eastern Shejaya neighborhood of Gaza City, told the BBC that despite Israel’s promises of clear markings, he had not seen any put up.

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

“We are constantly in danger, especially since we are forced to stay here because this is where our home once was.”

Since the ceasefire went into effect, the IDF has reported a number of cases of people crossing the yellow line. In all cases, IS said they fired on those involved.

BBC Verify has obtained and geolocated footage showing the aftermath of an incident on October 17 in which the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said it killed 11 civilians – including women and children who were reportedly from the same family. The agency said the Palestinians’ vehicle was attacked by Israel after crossing the Yellow Line east of Gaza City in the Zeytoun neighborhood.

The footage shows rescuers inspecting the charred remains of a vehicle and covering the nearby badly disfigured body of a child with a white sheet. BBC Verify geolocated the video to a location about 125 meters above the yellow line marked on the IDF maps.

The IDF said warning shots were fired at a “suspicious vehicle” that had crossed the line. The statement added when the vehicle failed to stop the troops opened fire “to eliminate the threat”.

Meanwhile, the legal status of the border has also been questioned.

“Israel’s obligations under the law of armed conflict do not end even for those who violate the Yellow Line,” said Dr Laurence Hill-Cawthorne, professor of public international law at the University of Bristol.

“It can only target enemy combatants or those directly involved in hostilities, and thus must not cause excessive damage to civilians.”

In a statement, an Israeli military spokesman said: “IDF troops under the Southern Command continue to operate to eliminate any threat to the troops and protect the civilians of the State of Israel.”

They added that the concrete blocks “are placed every 200 meters”.

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

At least 68,280 have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-ruled territory’s health ministry.

Additional reporting by Erwan Rivault, Lamees Altalebi and Maha El Gaml