Israeli soldiers spot Hamas terrorists preparing for new attacks, but say they are barred from intervening

IDF troops say Hamas preparing attacks beyond Yellow Line as ceasefire restrictions limit response.

By World Israel News Staff

IDF reservists deployed in central Gaza say they have repeatedly observed Hamas activity just beyond the Yellow Line but have been ordered not to strike unless terrorists cross into the Israeli-controlled zone, raising concerns that the group is using ceasefire restrictions to prepare attacks on Israeli troops.

Drone footage obtained by Ynet and recorded on August 7 shows two Hamas terrorists moving through ruins on the Hamas-controlled side of the line. The men are seen digging, moving a bucket between locations and apparently attempting to conceal what they are doing.

An IDF commander serving in the area said the troops could not determine exactly what the men were handling, but regarded the activity as suspicious and potentially preparatory.

“We don’t know what it is, but it is clearly not innocent. That is how we know they are preparing for something,” he said.

The commander said troops increasingly face a situation in which they can observe Hamas personnel and document their movements but cannot act against them so long as they remain beyond the Yellow Line.

The line was established under the US-brokered ceasefire reached last October and originally left the IDF controlling roughly 53% of Gaza. Israeli forces have since expanded the territory under their control to about 60%-65% of the enclave, although Washington has recently pressed Israel to stop pushing the boundary farther west.

Israeli troops were formally ordered this week not to advance the Yellow Line further following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US envoy Jared Kushner, according to Israeli media reports.

Forces were also instructed to document suspected Hamas ceasefire violations so that the evidence could be presented to senior military and political officials.

Unconfirmed reports have claimed that the IDF has already pulled back to the October 2025 Yellow Line.

The reservist commander said the current rules have made the Israeli deployment overwhelmingly defensive. Troops can prepare for infiltrations and react if Hamas crosses the line, he said, but have far less freedom to prevent an attack from being organized on the other side.

He warned that Hamas could exploit precisely that distinction by staging a small, rapid assault against Israeli positions — crossing the line, attacking and then retreating into territory where Israeli forces face greater restrictions.

“My hands are tied up to a point,” the commander said of the tightened rules.

The concerns come as the Trump administration is trying to advance a new phase of its Gaza plan centered on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups.

Kushner held four hours of talks with Netanyahu Monday after meeting Hamas leaders and Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Egypt.

According to Axios, Kushner urged Netanyahu to make limited moves designed to test whether Hamas is genuinely prepared to begin surrendering its weapons.

The proposed process would see Hamas transfer its arsenal to Gaza’s Palestinian technocratic administration, which would then hand the weapons to an international stabilization force for destruction.

Netanyahu remains deeply skeptical that Hamas intends to give up its military capabilities.

During Monday’s meeting, Israeli military intelligence and Shin Bet officials briefed Kushner on what Israel says are continuing Hamas violations of the ceasefire. Netanyahu also presented polling showing strong Israeli opposition to rebuilding Gaza before it is demilitarized and support for continued Israeli strikes against emerging threats.

A US official told Axios that Washington does not expect Israel to refrain from responding to an imminent Hamas threat.

But determining what constitutes an imminent threat remains a major point of disagreement between Israel and the US-led Board of Peace.

Kushner and Netanyahu therefore agreed to establish a mechanism for handling suspected ceasefire violations and emerging threats without allowing individual incidents to trigger a broader return to war. Egyptian mediators are expected to participate.

The Board of Peace has meanwhile backed a central Israeli demand by saying the IDF will not be required to withdraw beyond the Yellow Line until Hamas completes the disarmament process.

“Withdrawal … beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete,” the board said earlier this month.

That condition applies to Hamas’ light and heavy weapons as well as its tunnel network.

Hamas has said it accepts a roadmap toward disarmament but argues that Israel must simultaneously fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire, including ending attacks and withdrawing its forces. Israel insists that withdrawal and reconstruction cannot proceed until Hamas is demonstrably disarmed.

Kushner warned this week that Hamas would ultimately be judged by its actions rather than its assurances.

If Hamas complies, he has argued, the agreement could lead to a complete Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction of Gaza. If the group refuses to surrender its weapons, he said Israel could receive broader US and international backing to resume military operations and “finish the job.”