The yellow line shifts… Accusations against Israel as the U.S. affirms the ceasefire remains intact
Israel and Hamas have traded accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement, while the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, affirmed that the truce remains in place.
When asked about the latest exchange of fire in Gaza, Huckabee told the American channel NewsNation that he believed the ceasefire was still holding and that such incidents were to be expected.
He added, “There are certainly moments when things become extremely fragile. None of us ever doubted that, but the ceasefire is holding.”
Referring to past periods marked by rocket fire, he continued, “For the first time in over a month, I am no longer having to avoid ballistic missiles. It has been an exceptionally calm period.”
The American ambassador also stated that the peace agreement brokered by President Trump “is progressing very effectively.”
Yesterday evening, Israel and Hamas exchanged accusations of breaching the agreement after Israeli strikes hit various locations in Gaza, causing multiple Palestinian casualties.
Today, the Israeli military announced that the strikes resulted in the killing of Abdallah Abu Shmala, head of Hamas’s naval system in the Gaza Strip, and Fadi Abu Mustafa, responsible for tunnels in one of Hamas’s units in the Khan Younis area.
Israeli airstrikes
The Israeli army had leaked yesterday that the attack targeted Imad Islim, commander of Hamas’s al-Zaytoun Battalion, but his name was not among the two individuals the military confirmed as killed.
It remains unclear whether the army failed to eliminate him.
In a statement, the Israeli military said: “Under the leadership of the Southern Command and with guidance from the Shin Bet and the Military Intelligence Directorate, the IDF carried out strikes yesterday on Hamas targets and operatives throughout the Gaza Strip, following a violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
It added: “Among those eliminated during the strikes was Abdallah Abu Shmala, head of Hamas’s naval system in the Gaza Strip, one of the movement’s most prominent operatives. Over the years, he held several positions within the naval system, participated in the attempted infiltration of the Zikim naval base during Operation Protective Edge, and oversaw the training and planning of the October 7, 2023 maritime assault. He also carried out numerous operations against IDF forces during the war, particularly maritime attacks.”
The statement also noted the death of “Fadi Abu Mustafa, responsible for tunnels in one of the Khan Younis units, who was involved in holding several Israeli hostages, including Nimrod Cohen, David Cunio, and others.”
The army moves the “yellow line”
Hazem Qassem, spokesperson for Hamas, stated that the Israeli army “is committing a blatant violation by continuously shifting the yellow line westward on a daily basis, resulting in mass displacement of our people.”
He added that “this alteration of the yellow line contradicts the maps agreed upon in the war cessation agreement,” calling on mediators to “pressure the occupation to immediately stop these violations.”
The yellow line refers to the line to which the Israeli army withdrew as part of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
