A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which governs Gaza, took effect on October 10, 2025. Under the truce, Israel was to hold 53% of the territory for now, with a phased withdrawal to follow.
But the army said in mid-July it controlled 60% of Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that share will eventually rise to 70%. The withdrawal, like Hamas's promised disarmament, has yet to happen.
AP noted the yellow line has never been precisely mapped or clearly marked on the ground. With the peace process stalled, Palestinians fear the line could harden into a permanent border.
Satellite images show the wall does not always align with the yellow line, and its height is unclear, AP said. Photos from Planet Labs show several short segments in the south followed by a continuous 17-kilometer stretch running north. Construction is moving quickly: more than a kilometer of barrier went up between June 21 and July 7.
Most of Gaza's roughly 2 million residents remain in the Palestinian-controlled area. In early July, Hamas said it had dissolved its civilian administration, handing responsibilities to a new technocratic body created under the truce agreement.
The Israeli-occupied section has been almost entirely leveled, with buildings demolished or blown up. Israeli forces are building new roads and military bases there, saying the destroyed infrastructure had been used by Hamas.
Israel's military continues near-daily strikes on Gaza. Gaza's health ministry said Tuesday that 1,168 Palestinians have been killed in such strikes since the ceasefire began. The army says it targets militants posing a threat, though media and Palestinian officials report women and children have also been killed.
Reuters reported, citing local medical sources, that a family of six — parents and their four children — was killed in a strike Tuesday. The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying the target was a Hamas fighter.
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Source: PAP