Inside Gaza’s Invisible Boundary: Satellite Images Reveal Israel’s Hidden Military Grip Despite “Ceasefire”

Ceasefire or Occupation? A New Look Inside Gaza’s Divided Map

Two weeks after the so-called “ceasefire” was announced between Israel and Hamas, new satellite imagery has unveiled a much darker picture of what’s really happening on the ground.

A comprehensive analysis by Al Jazeera’s Sanad Verification Agency has confirmed that Israeli forces maintain nearly 40 active military positions beyond the so-called yellow line — the invisible boundary Israel had agreed to respect under the first phase of the ceasefire.

The imagery shows not only the persistence of Israeli presence deep inside Gaza but also evidence of expanding military installations, suggesting that Israel’s control remains firm despite the public narrative of a pullback.

Mapping the Invisible Line: Where Israel Still Holds Ground

Under the terms of the first phase of the ceasefire, Israeli troops were required to withdraw to areas west of a boundary designated as the yellow line. This imaginary marker, however, has no physical indicators — no walls, no fences, no posts — only coordinates on a map.

But the new satellite data paints a very different reality. Israeli forces have established approximately 40 fortified positions beyond that boundary, covering nearly 58 percent of Gaza’s total territory.

The Sanad team broke down the distribution of these positions across the Strip’s five governorates:

• North Gaza: 9 active positions

• Gaza City: 6 active positions

• Deir el-Balah: 1 position

• Khan Younis: 11 positions

• Rafah: 13 positions

These are not makeshift camps. Many are reinforced military compounds, equipped with vehicle barricades, surveillance towers, and newly paved roads connecting them to Israeli-controlled corridors.

Satellite Proof: Expanding Bases and Fresh Construction

Among the most revealing sites is one perched atop al-Muntar Hill in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood — a strategic high point long sought by Israeli forces.

Comparison of satellite images taken between September 21 and October 14, 2025, shows clear signs of construction activity, including new asphalt layers, vehicle tracks, and reinforced boundaries.

These developments contradict Israeli government statements that its forces had “fully withdrawn” from active zones in central Gaza under the ceasefire terms.

Instead, analysts conclude that the military’s current activity represents a “repositioning” rather than a withdrawal, ensuring continued control over supply routes, observation points, and access roads.

The Yellow Line: A Boundary That No One Can See

For Gaza’s civilians, the yellow line is an invisible prison. It exists only on maps, not on the ground, making it impossible for displaced Palestinians to know which areas are “safe” or “off-limits.”

That confusion turned deadly on October 18, when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a car in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, killing 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family, including seven children and three women.

The victims, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence, were simply trying to return home. The Israeli military later claimed the vehicle had “crossed the yellow line” — an assertion that underscores the peril of an unseen border.

Following international criticism, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced plans to install visual signs along the boundary. But even that measure, critics argue, would not resolve the underlying issue: the ongoing occupation of Gaza’s land under the guise of a ceasefire.

A Ceasefire in Name Only: Israel Still Controls Half of Gaza

Even under the ceasefire’s “first phase,” Israel retains control of over half of Gaza’s territory.

Entire neighborhoods remain sealed off:

• Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon in the north

• Shujayea, Tuffah, and Zeitoun in Gaza City

• Large sections of Khan Younis

• All of Rafah City

Residents of these areas have been denied return, despite promises that the ceasefire would allow families to go back to their homes. Instead, most remain in makeshift shelters, with limited food, water, and medical supplies.

Satellite evidence suggests that many of these regions are being converted into permanent military zones, challenging any notion that this truce represents a step toward peace.

The Trump-Netanyahu 20-Point Gaza Plan: Withdrawal or Redesign?

The ceasefire deal stems from a controversial 20-point Gaza plan jointly announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29, 2025.

Notably, no Palestinian representatives were involved in the drafting of this plan.

The proposal outlines a three-phase withdrawal, color-coded on an official map:

Phase 1 – The Yellow Line (Current Stage)

Israeli forces were to retreat to the yellow boundary while Hamas released all living Israeli captives and most of the bodies of those deceased.

However, the ongoing Israeli activity beyond this line directly contradicts that commitment.

Phase 2 – The Red Line

An International Stabilisation Force (ISF)—composed of personnel from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States—is to assume limited control of central Gaza.

The ISF would oversee local security and assist in re-establishing Palestinian policing structures while Israeli forces pull back further to a red line boundary.

Phase 3 – The Security Buffer Zone

In the final stage, Israel would maintain only a “buffer zone” along Gaza’s eastern and northern borders.

An international administrative authority would temporarily oversee governance and reconstruction efforts in what remains of Gaza.

Yet, the map accompanying the plan reveals a harsh reality: even after “full withdrawal,” the Palestinian-controlled zone would be smaller than Gaza’s prewar territory—a continuation of decades-long territorial reduction.

The Human Cost: Gaza’s Civilian Nightmare

While international headlines tout a “historic ceasefire,” for ordinary Palestinians, daily life remains a struggle for survival.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, nearly 100 Palestinians have been killed since the truce was declared, many of them in Israeli strikes near the yellow line.

Families still face food shortages, unsafe water, and the ever-present risk of renewed attacks. Humanitarian groups like the UN, Red Crescent, and Médecins Sans Frontières continue to warn of mass starvation and untreated injuries.

The World Health Organization recently confirmed a surge in malnutrition-related deaths, calling the humanitarian blockade “a man-made disaster.”

Israel continues to control aid access points like the Kerem Shalom Crossing, where trucks face days of inspection delays. The sea and air blockade, now in its 18th year, remains intact — another unaddressed issue in Trump’s peace framework.

Unanswered Questions: Who Controls Gaza’s Future?

Even if all three withdrawal phases were implemented, key uncertainties remain:

• Who defines Gaza’s borders?

• Will Israel maintain surveillance or strike authority from the air?

• What role will the ISF truly play — peacekeeper or enforcer?

• Can Palestinians rebuild their homes under occupation zones?

Critics argue that this plan, like many before it, repackages control as cooperation.

By redrawing Gaza’s boundaries and embedding foreign troops, Israel effectively secures a long-term security presence without the political costs of full reoccupation.

Conclusion: A Ceasefire Without Peace

The Gaza ceasefire map and satellite revelations make one thing clear — this is not peace, but a pause under occupation.

Israel’s continued expansion of military bases beyond the yellow line, coupled with restrictions on Palestinian movement, indicates that the war has simply shifted forms — from open bombardment to strategic entrenchment.

As humanitarian agencies push for genuine reconstruction and freedom of movement, Palestinians remain trapped between lines drawn by others — unseen borders, invisible promises, and the slow erasure of their homeland.

Until those invisible lines are truly lifted, Gaza’s ceasefire will remain only a word — not a reality.