Zamir Says Israel Will Hold Positions Along Gaza’s ‘Yellow Line’ Under Trump Plan

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, Eyal Zamir, chief of the general staff, told forces stationed inside Gaza that Israel intends to maintain its current military deployments, which give it control over more than half of the enclave, including key agricultural areas and the crossing point with Egypt.

“The ‘yellow line’ represents a new boundary, serving both as an advanced defensive belt for our communities and as an operational zone,” Zamir said during a visit to Israeli reservists in northern Gaza, where he also toured the devastated remains of Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya.

According to an English transcript released by the military, Zamir added: “We have operational control over wide sections of the Gaza Strip, and we will stay positioned along these defensive lines.”

Israeli bombardments and evacuation orders earlier forced Palestinians out of the eastern sector of Gaza. Nearly all surviving residents—over 2 million people—have since been pushed into a narrow coastal strip smaller than Washington DC.

Zamir’s remarks appear to conflict with the October ceasefire agreement, which explicitly states that “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza.” Trump’s 20-point proposal obliges Israeli forces to “gradually transfer” Palestinian areas to an international security mission until their “complete withdrawal,” except for a small security buffer along the frontier.

The Israeli government did not confirm whether Zamir’s comments represent official policy. A government official reiterated that Israeli troops are “deployed in Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire plan” and accused Hamas of breaching the truce.

Under the agreement, Israel’s withdrawal is tied to the disarmament of Hamas, though no mechanism or timeline has been defined. A United Nations resolution adopted last month authorised the establishment of an international security force, but no country has yet agreed to contribute troops. Although several states have shown interest in peacekeeping roles, none are willing to risk involvement in combat with Hamas, despite U.S. pressure.

The Israeli military has erected new concrete positions along the “yellow line,” designating it a lethal zone despite an ongoing ceasefire and inconsistent marking on the ground. Soldiers have repeatedly shot Palestinians accused of crossing the boundary, including minors.

Satellite imagery also shows that some concrete markers outlining the line extend hundreds of meters beyond the borders specified in the ceasefire maps, effectively widening Israel’s hold over parts of Gaza.

U.S. military planning also anticipates a long-term division of Gaza along the “yellow line,” with one American official calling the possibility of reunification merely “aspirational.” Documents reviewed by the Guardian depict Gaza divided into a “green zone,” placed under Israeli and international military oversight for early reconstruction, and a “red zone,” which would remain destroyed indefinitely.