The Israeli military has formally designated the so-called “yellow line” dividing the Gaza Strip as a new, permanent border for the state. The announcement from Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir signals a long-term intention to maintain control over territory seized during the recent conflict.
During a visit to Israeli forces in northern Gaza, Zamir stated that the line—a demarcation established under the current ceasefire framework—now serves as a “forward defensive line” and a permanent operational boundary. He emphasized that the military would retain its positions, which currently give Israel authority over more than half of the coastal enclave. This controlled area includes the majority of Gaza’s agricultural land and its border crossing with Egypt.
The declaration appears to directly challenge key provisions of the internationally-backed ceasefire agreement activated last October, which explicitly rules out Israeli occupation or annexation of Gaza. That agreement ties a full Israeli withdrawal to the demilitarization of Hamas, a process with no defined timeline or mechanism.
On the ground, the boundary is being solidified. The Israeli military has constructed fortified concrete outposts along the route and declared it a lethal zone. Despite an active ceasefire, troops have repeatedly fired on Palestinians, including children, accused of approaching the line. Satellite imagery indicates that physical markers placed by Israeli forces extend hundreds of meters beyond the boundary originally charted on ceasefire maps.
The division has left Gaza’s population severely compressed. The vast majority of Palestinians, over two million people, are now confined to a narrow coastal area smaller than Washington D.C., after being displaced from the eastern sectors now under Israeli control.
While the Israeli government declined to confirm whether Zamir’s statement reflects official policy, it maintains its deployment is consistent with the ceasefire outline. Planning documents indicate international actors, including the United States, are operating on the assumption of a long-term partition. These plans envision Gaza split into a reconstructed “green zone” under military control and a “red zone” left in ruins.
The firm stance from the military leadership creates a significant obstacle for ongoing diplomatic efforts, which have struggled to form an international security force to facilitate a transition. No nation has yet committed troops to such a force, wary of being drawn into potential combat operations against Hamas.