The IDF has expanded its control beyond the original Yellow Line northwest of Rafah in recent weeks, clearing an additional area that could eventually be transferred to a multinational force, according to a report by Channel 12 News.
The newly secured territory includes, among other areas, land where the former Gush Katif communities of Bnei Atzmon and Bedolah once stood before Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
No timetable has yet been established for a multinational force to enter the area.
Israel currently controls 52% of the territory within the original Yellow Line and has also taken control of several locations beyond it. However, the IDF has decided for the time being not to expand its territorial presence any further. Forces have been instructed not to seize additional areas or push the Yellow Line farther into Gaza.
“We are not giving up the security Yellow Line,” a security official told Channel 12 News. “The multinational force, if there is one, will be able to take over the new territory that we seized beyond the Yellow Line northwest of Rafah.”
The development appears to provide Israel with an additional security buffer while also preparing the territory for the possibility of a future international presence in the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, Israeli security officials are closely watching developments along the Gaza border amid indications that Hamas may be attempting to test Israel’s response to renewed low-level attacks.
On Friday, incendiary kites launched from Gaza were detected near one of the Israeli communities along the Gaza border.
Israeli defense officials believe Hamas may be using the kites to assess both their ability to cause damage and the nature of Israel’s response. There are concerns that the activity could eventually escalate to the use of incendiary balloons, explosive balloons and even rocket fire.
The incidents come amid additional warnings from IDF surveillance soldiers stationed along the Gaza border, who have reported observing terrorist activity in the vicinity of the security fence.
For now, the IDF is maintaining its expanded positions while refraining from additional territorial advances, as Israel weighs the possibility of eventually turning over the newly cleared area northwest of Rafah to a multinational force.
{Matzav.com}
