Savewith a NBCUniversal ProfileCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleNov. 3, 2025, 12:00 PM ESTBy Chantal Da SilvaThe blocks are concrete — but little else about Israel’s “yellow line” appears to be. Israeli troops have laid yellow blocks down on the ground in Gaza, marking the parts of the Palestinian enclave — just more than half of the territory — still under their control as part of the ceasefire with Hamas.Envisioned as a temporary boundary under the first phase of the agreement, which was brokered in part by President Donald Trump, the line has instead become a flashpoint. Israel carried out days of strikes on Gaza last week despite the truce, killing more than 100 people, including dozens of children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, Israel said it was responding to what it said was a Hamas attack that killed one of its soldiers operating within the “yellow line.” Hamas denied involvement. Israeli forces had earlier separately opened fire on Palestinians in incidents in which it said people neared or crossed the boundary line prior to physical barriers being put in place.The next stages of Trump’s plan that would see Israel withdraw further are still to be negotiated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Monday that he met with senior White House officials to discuss efforts to further implement Trump’s 20-point plan. Analysts warned that with the future of the truce appearing to be on “shaky” ground, it could be some time before there is clarity.NBC News spoke to some Palestinians whose homes, or what’s left of them, lie just beyond the barrier. For them, the line has become a physical manifestation of their fears that they may never be able to return to their land.’I can’t even look at it’The Israel Defense Forces began laying the yellow markers last month in what the military said was an effort to clearly delineate the areas it had agreed to withdraw to under the ceasefire deal with Hamas, which came into effect Oct. 10. It came after repeated incidents of Israeli forces firing upon Palestinians who they said had approached or crossed the withdrawal boundary, dubbed the “yellow line.” In one case last month, the Gaza Civil Defense agency said Israeli forces had killed nine people in a bus. The Israeli military said troops initially fired warning shots at the vehicle, which it said had crossed the boundary, and then “opened fire to remove the threat” when the vehicle didn’t stop.