JERUSALEM, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army will physically mark the so-called "yellow line," the boundary to which its forces withdrew last week under the Gaza ceasefire, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.
The yellow line runs inside the Gaza Strip, about 1.5 to 6.5 kilometers from the Israeli border, and currently encloses roughly 47 percent of the territory. It marks the line Israeli forces pulled back to during the first phase of the U.S.-backed ceasefire, retreating from major population centers, while the remaining areas remain under Israeli control. Under the peace plan, Israel is expected to eventually withdraw from the enclave.
Katz said the markers are intended to clearly define the security and political boundary and to warn Hamas fighters and Gaza residents that crossing the line could trigger a military response. Images released by his office show the markers resemble the blue barrels used to mark the UN-recognized Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.
Earlier this week, Israeli forces said they opened fire on Palestinians who crossed the yellow line in northern Gaza. Palestinian health officials reported at least six deaths.
The pullback to the yellow line is the first of three phases in the U.S.-backed plan. Since Monday, Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over 10 bodies, though Israel said one of the deceased was not an Israeli citizen. In exchange, Israel has freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. ■
