In Trump's Pocket?
Hamas will attack IDF soldiers in Gaza again
It's only a matter of time before Hamas breaks the ceasefire again. But Israel's hands are largely tied when it comes to how we are allowed to respond.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) anticipate further skirmishes with Hamas terrorists hiding in Gaza’s tunnel network along the volatile “Yellow Line,” a makeshift demarcation zone established under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, as tensions escalate following recent clashes in Rafah, according to military correspondent Yoav Zeitun writing for Ynet.
The ceasefire, effective since October 11, faces growing strain as Hamas fighters, entrenched in dozens of undiscovered tunnels, ambush IDF units tasked with demolishing terror infrastructure, raising fears of broader violations that could derail the fragile truce.
Yesterday (Sunday) Hamas operatives in Rafah fired anti-tank missiles and sniper rounds at IDF soldiers, prompting airstrikes and artillery barrages that killed at least eight Palestinians, per Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Similar incidents occurred Friday in Khan Younis and Rafah, where trapped Hamas operatives attacked IDF teams clearing tunnels, though no Israeli casualties were reported.
The IDF views these as the first significant ceasefire breaches, with commanders acknowledging from day one that “the quiet would not truly hold.”
The Yellow Line, a virtual boundary within Gaza’s pre-war borders, spans tens of square kilometers of flattened terrain where IDF retains control, distinct from the deeper “old” border fence. Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered physical yellow boundary stones to mark the line, akin to markers used on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria, though it currently exists only on unpublished military maps.
This zone, covering less than half of Gaza’s territory, contrasts with earlier Israeli claims of broader control.Hamas exploits remaining tunnels—many undetected beneath major enclaves like Gaza City and Khan Younis—to stage attacks, leveraging weapons caches, including rockets, RPGs, and explosives, some supplied by Israel to Palestinian clans opposing Hamas.
The IDF has responded by fortifying new outposts along the Yellow Line with earth berms, barbed wire pyramids, and surveillance systems, while conducting daily warning shots to deter Palestinian civilians nearing the zone.
The military is preparing for graver violations, potentially requiring U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval for escalated responses, ranging from targeted airstrikes to limited ground operations. Southern Command and intelligence agencies, including Shin Bet, have rebuilt a target bank of hundreds of Gaza sites untouched since the halt of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, poised for precision strikes if negotiations for phase two of the ceasefire, aiming for Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s long-term governance, falter.
Such operations could mirror 2006’s “Summer Rains,” a brief incursion against a weaker Hamas, though the group’s extensive tunnel network, still largely intact, poses a far greater challenge today.Hamas has bolstered defenses in Gaza City and western Khan Younis, using returning civilians, approximately 250,000 in the past week, plus 200,000 already present, as a human shield against IDF actions.
Israel permitted these returns under the ceasefire, which also saw Hamas release all 20 living hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Yet, the Yellow Line’s ambiguity risks transforming it into a permanent border if talks collapse, potentially shrinking Gaza and expanding Israel’s Negev, with areas like former Nissanit and Gush Katif eyed for future settlements, a prospect possibly explaining hardline ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s continued government support despite the prisoner swap.
Trump, overseeing the ceasefire via mediators Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, insists on controlling escalations, complicating IDF responses. Yesterday, he said that it was possible that that the people responsible for attacking our soldiers were not governed by Hamas leadership and admitted that it would be tough to deal with the breach correctly.
Trump, like our current government, seems to believe that the death of our soldiers is acceptable, so long as nothing interferes with his precious ceasefire. That being said, Hamas still holds the bodies of some 16 Israeli hostages, which we are desperate to get back, and that is part of the reason the IDF didn't go scorched earth on Gaza yesterday.
For now, the IDF assesses that each day without renewed ground fighting reduces the likelihood of full-scale war, though Sunday’s Rafah clashes, documented by IDF footage of targeted strikes, signal persistent volatility.