The head of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, stated that the demarcation line known as the "yellow line" has been established as the "new border" within the Gaza Strip. The "yellow line" marks the area from which Israeli troops have not withdrawn from the Palestinian enclave, as part of the ceasefire agreements that came into effect on October 10. During a visit to Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya in Gaza, Zamir met with division commanders and affirmed that this new demarcation will function as a defensive wall. "The 'yellow line' is a new border, which serves as an advanced defensive line for our communities and as a line of operational activity," stated Zamir. The army chief assured that Israeli forces have taken "operational control over extensive areas of the Gaza Strip" and added that troops will "remain" in those areas indefinitely. Zamir emphasized that the army "will not allow Hamas to re-establish itself" and that they are preparing for "surprise attack scenarios", a point that will be a cornerstone of the next multi-year military plan. The military leader insisted that the mission will not be complete until the body of the last hostage who died in Gaza, police officer Ran Gvili, is returned home. Hamas has already released the remaining 20 living hostages and the bodies of 27 deceased hostages, with the sole exception of Gvili. Since the "yellow line" was established, Israeli troops have shot and killed dozens of Palestinians, alleging they were suspected of crossing the demarcation. 370 people have been killed by Israeli fire since October 11, raising the number of Palestinian deaths since the start of the conflict in October 2023 to 70,360, according to Gaza's health authorities.
