Israel Sets ‘New Border’ in Gaza, Raising Concerns over Adherence to Trump’s Plan
The Israeli military chief has suggested that Israel will maintain its current positions in Gaza, which gives it control over more than half of the Strip.
Known as the “Yellow Line,” the border represents the first of three demarcation lines to which Israeli forces will withdraw under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
The US and the peace deal’s guarantors, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, are pushing for the implementation of the second phase of the plan, which involves the formation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) and Israeli forces withdrawal to a designated Red Line.
Israel’s New Border
The Israeli Chief of General Staff, Eyal Zamir, said that Israel would hold on to its current military positions in Gaza, referring to the Yellow Line that divides the Strip in half, according to the Guardian.
Addressing troops in northern Gaza, Zamir said that Israel will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. “We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defense lines. The ‘Yellow Line’ is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity,” he noted.
The Yellow Line gives Israel control over more than half of the Gaza Strip, including most agricultural land, populous Palestinian neighborhoods such as Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoon, and the Palestinian side of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt.
Trump’s Peace Plan
Zamir’s remarks raise concern over Israel’s commitment to Trump’s peace plan, which clearly states that Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. Furthermore, the plan says that the Israeli military will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF, until their complete withdrawal from Gaza, with the exclusion of a security perimeter presence by the border.
The ISF in Gaza, authorized by a UN resolution in November, will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, in addition to ensuring the disarmament of Hamas and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Israel will withdraw its forces from Gaza in three phases. In the first phase, which is almost complete, forces withdraw to the Yellow Line and Hamas hands over all the living and deceased hostages.
The second phase involves withdrawal to a Red Line and the deployment of the ISF, while the third phase includes withdrawal to a Security Buffer Zone and the start of the reconstruction process.
Expanding Control
The Israeli military has fortified its positions along the Yellow Line with new concrete outposts and declared it a lethal boundary. Despite ceasefire, Israeli soldiers have repeatedly killed Palestinians, including children, claiming that they have crossed the line.
Moreover, satellite images showed that the Israeli military was expanding its presence beyond the agreed-upon boundary by placing markers hundreds of meters deeper inside Gaza, BBC reported in late October.
Gaza Plan’s Next Phase
The US, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye – the peace agreement’s guarantors – have been pressing for the implementation of the plan’s next phase. This includes the deployment of the ISF, the formation of a transitional Board of Peace, which Trump will chair, and Israel’s full withdrawal.
In the light of this, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the plan’s second phase was “close” but several issues need to be addressed first, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu told reporters on Sunday that he would discuss with Trump the next steps in Gaza and the implementation of the peace plan’s second phase. Netanyahu and Trump will meet on December 29 in the US, an Israeli government spokesperson announced on Monday.
“The Prime Minister will meet with President Trump on Monday, December 29 they will discuss the future steps and phases and the international stabilization force of the ceasefire plan,” the spokesperson said.
