This is the “Yellow Zone”, as one former Israeli intelligence officer described it, named after the colour of the line that has since the ceasefire split Gaza in two. In Syria, the Israeli military has helped the Druze minority create a de facto buffer zone along the border. This was fertile recruitment territory for Israeli military intelligence’s Unit 504, which has long been tasked with recruiting Arab informants, according to two people familiar with the situation. Since then, he has been building up a small area of control within a kilometre of an Israeli military position, according to Israeli officials. A screengrab showing Hamas members dragging seven men into a circle of people in Gaza City, shortly before executing them.

Source: The Irish Times November 17, 2025 14:00 UTC