Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinians in southern Gaza on Monday after claiming that a group crossed the “yellow line,” a restricted military boundary set under the ongoing ceasefire with Hamas.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said those involved posed a threat to its troops and were targeted to prevent an attack.
The “yellow line” was established when the truce began in early October 2025, marking areas to be temporarily held by either side. Israeli troops were meant to pull back to positions east of the line, while Palestinian civilians were allowed to occupy sections to the west. However, the boundary has become tense, with several reports of Israeli gunfire at people attempting to return to their homes on the other side.
Under the current truce arrangement, Israel still controls about 53 percent of the Gaza Strip. The recent shootings have renewed fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse as both sides continue to accuse each other of breaking the agreement.
Tension has been rising since last week when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered heavy air strikes on Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating the truce by attacking soldiers and faking the recovery of hostage remains. Hamas rejected the claim, saying it had not breached any part of the deal.
Gaza’s Civil Defence agency reported that at least nine people, including women and children, were killed in the air raids that followed the renewed fighting. Turkey, which helped mediate the truce along with Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, condemned the Israeli attacks, describing them as a breach of the ceasefire terms.
Meanwhile, Israel confirmed the recovery of three soldiers’ bodies that were handed over by Hamas through the Red Cross. Forensic results showed that the remains belonged to Colonel Asaf Hamami, Captain Omer Neutra, and Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel, who were among those kidnapped during the October 2023 attacks.
The first stage of the US-mediated truce required Hamas to release all 20 surviving hostages and 28 bodies it still held. While both sides have carried out several exchanges, Israel accused Hamas of delaying the release of the remaining corpses, saying the group was failing to meet its commitments. Hamas maintains that many of the bodies are buried under rubble caused by earlier Israeli strikes.
So far, Israel has returned the bodies of 225 Palestinians in exchange for 18 Israeli and two foreign hostages. Eight deceased hostages remain unaccounted for, including six Israelis, one Tanzanian, and one Thai national.
The truce, which aimed to reduce violence and prepare for Gaza’s post-war recovery, is now under pressure as progress stalls on key issues such as the full withdrawal of Israeli troops, disarmament of Hamas, and the future political control of the territory.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 68,800 people have died in the enclave since Israel’s military campaign began after the October 2023 Hamas attack that left about 1,200 Israelis dead.
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