Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said on Sunday that the "yellow line" demarcation is the "new borderline" inside the Gaza Strip, while sources reported that a Palestinian who crossed the line was killed on the same day.
The "yellow line" marks the zone from which Israeli troops have not withdrawn in the Palestinian enclave, as part of the ceasefire arrangements that took effect on Oct. 10.
"The 'yellow line' is a new borderline, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity," Zamir said during a visit to Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya in Gaza, where he met division commanders.
He said the military has assumed "operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip," adding that Israeli forces "will remain" in those areas.
Zamir added the army "will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself" and is preparing for "surprise attack scenarios," which he described as a cornerstone of the military's upcoming multi-year plan.
On Sunday, a Palestinian was killed Sunday by Israeli army fire in the Mawasi area of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Ambulance and emergency services said the person was killed outside Israeli army deployment areas in Mawasi.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops in southern Gaza "identified a terrorist who crossed the yellow line and approached the troops, posing an immediate threat", and that they "eliminated the terrorist".
The Palestinian side has not yet responded.
Since the October ceasefire, Gaza health authorities said Israeli attacks have killed 373 Palestinians and injured 970. Overall, since Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed 70,360 Palestinians and injured 171,047.
Israeli army chief claims 'yellow line' new border inside Gaza
Israeli army chief claims 'yellow line' new border inside Gaza
Japanese scholars and officials, including former Prime Minster Yukio Hatoyama, on Sunday criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan region and expressed concerns over the deteriorated bilateral ties.
At a Diet meeting on Nov 7, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, which has immediately sparked strong criticism inside Japan.
The scholars voiced their concerns at an academic exchange meeting held by the International Academic Society for Asian Community (ISAC) in Tokyo, where over 100 representatives from Japanese political, academic, and economic circles held discussions on the current international situation and China-Japan relations.
In his keynote speech, Hatoyama said that Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan region fundamentally deviated from international law and the spirit of the 1972 China-Japan Joint Communique.
"According to the China-Japan Joint Communique, the Potsdam Declaration, and the Cairo Declaration, Japan further reaffirmed its position that Taiwan is Chinese territory. Therefore, the Taiwan question is China's internal affair. Furthermore, the China-Japan Joint Communique also established the principle of non-interference in China's internal affairs. But against this backdrop, however, Takaichi made the related remarks," he said.
Participants of the academic meeting said that Takaichi's erroneous remarks damaged the relations between China and Japan and should be retracted.
"As an academic organization dedicated to the study of peace and security in East Asia, we are deeply concerned about the sharp deterioration in Japan-China relations caused by Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks in the Diet, which related Taiwan question to a 'survival-threatening situation' for Japan," said Eiichi Shindo, ISAC president and a professor emeritus at the University of Tsukuba.
"After the war, Japan and China reached many political agreements, but now it is Japan that unilaterally violates these rules and agreements. This is highly problematic, and I feel very sorry about it. Japan-China relations are deteriorating on multiple levels, and obviously it is Japan that has caused such a situation. (Takaichi's) remarks definitely crossed the line, and I believe they should be retracted," said Akira Kimura, a professor emeritus at the Kagoshima University.
Following the event, Hatoyama told China Media Group (CMG) that he was deeply concerned that Takaichi's remarks had worsened China-Japan relations.
"Prime Minister Takaichi made remarks about Taiwan question, claiming it would constitute a 'survival-threatening situation' for Japan. In my view, this was less a rash statement and more a deliberate declaration, which is regrettable. I am deeply concerned that the situation will worsen if measures are not taken quickly. This has plunged Japan-China relations into a very serious situation. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair, and Japan should not interfere," said Hatoyama.
Former Japanese PM, scholars criticize Takaichi’s erroneous remarks
Former Japanese PM, scholars criticize Takaichi’s erroneous remarks
