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Vivian Bercovici: The thin yellow line protecting Israelis from another massacre

The Post's Vivian Bercovici journeys into the Gaza Strip to view Hamas's tunnel infrastructure and the Israeli soldiers providing the last line of defence against the terrorists

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GAZA STRIP — For several hours on Thursday afternoon, I was embedded with the Israel Defence Forces, deep inside the Israeli controlled “yellow zone” of the Gaza Strip. The “yellow line,” which is marked with yellow flags, demarcates the Israeli- and Hamas-controlled areas under the terms of the ceasefire negotiated in October 2025.

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It is impossible not to see the flags. There are many and they are bold. And yet, on an almost daily basis, Hamas terrorists attempt to cross the line and attack IDF troops.

Vivian Bercovici: The thin yellow line protecting Israelis from another massacre Back to video

Briefing a small group of foreign media at an IDF base overlooking the town of Dir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, IDF spokesperson Lt.-Col. Nadav Shoshani said that attempted attacks on this particular base had all been repelled successfully.

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“Hamas remains very active targeting our troops … and trying to rearm. We have found tunnels, IEDs and new weapons that they have deployed in this area,” he said.

These small, hastily erected IDF bases run along the length of the yellow line. The berm surrounding the base I visited was built following repeated Hamas attacks.

IDF soldiers serving at these bases effectively monitor a “forward security zone,” creating a geographic buffer between Hamas and Israel. As long as Hamas remains armed and hostile, this narrow strip of land is imperative for Israeli security.

Even though U.S. President Donald Trump’s 21-point peace plan prioritizes the disarmament of Hamas, the reality on the ground is very different. The terror group now states that it never agreed to this term.

Specific details about military infrastructure are protected intelligence information. However, based on a map Shoshani showed us, it is accurate to report that the land in the Israeli-controlled yellow zone is heavily blotched with holes, each one indicating the presence of a tunnel shaft discovered by the IDF in recent months. And each shaft leads to an underground labyrinth comprised of hundreds of kilometres of what is, effectively, the infrastructure of war.

“Some tunnels are 70-metres deep. They connect to others. They have street names, underground. There are signs showing the turn number in the tunnel,” Shoshani explained, confirming that the maze is mapped and documented by Hamas.

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“With every passing week, we find more tunnels and shafts. It’s an incredible threat and challenge we must deal with. We’ve found a lot, but a lot remains.”

In January, troops operating near the base located and dismantled an underground tunnel approximately one kilometre long, which was used to store weapons and hide fighters.

Throughout the war, many Israeli hostages were held captive in tunnels and, at times, above-ground dwellings, in this area. The IDF was careful to avoid operating where it believed many of the hostages were being held.

Some are finished with tile and concrete, as well as generators, lighting and air conditioning. Others are primitive. The materiel used to construct this military maze was largely sourced from foreign aid, provided with minimal, if any, restrictions.

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The myth that this humanitarian aid was used solely for civilian purposes was long ago debunked. “Dual use” materials — like cement, steel and anything else used to build — flowed into the Gaza Strip for years. Judging solely by the massive investment in the tunnel system, much of it was diverted underground and not allocated for civilian use.

I spent an hour or so on this protected island, listening, watching and speaking with soldiers. With strong binoculars, one can observe civilian life a few hundred metres away. Aside from the occasional gunfire, life is as “normal” as possible in a war-ravaged area controlled by Islamist terrorists.

The soldiers on base frequently rotate in and out. It’s a tough gig. Snipers and spotters stand guard in crude lookout posts, watching intensely.

The drive from the border with Israel to the base takes around 10 minutes. We moved quickly in a guarded convoy of Humvees. The road is newly paved and winding, in part to avoid hazards (like possible IEDs and tunnel shafts), but also to make it more difficult to be targeted by enemy fire.

On the way to the meeting point — at the Kissufim crossing in Israel — one passes verdant agricultural fields and fruit orchards. Winter in southern Israel, an area that supplies much of the country’s fresh produce, is magnificent.

Road 232 — the main attack artery Hamas used in its October 7 massacre — winds through the region, very close to where I now live. Roadside memorials marking the places where hundreds of civilians were murdered on that day have become permanent shrines. Friends, family and strangers stop, visit and pay respects.

I filled up at the gas station where the survivors of Kibbutz Kfar Aza were led by soldiers, under fire, to safety on the night of Oct. 7, 2023. I drove on, past Kibbutz Be’eri, home to the roadside shelters where dozens of young party-goers were murdered, and past many of the other villages that were devastated on that horrific day.

Every time I drive this road, I scan the ditches, fields and bushes, imagining where I would try to take cover and hide from thousands of armed and roving terrorists and “civilians” from Gaza. More than 6,000 in all spilled into Israel on October 7, to murder, incinerate, terrorize and loot.

And all that prevents a repeat attack is the buffer of the yellow zone and those standing guard.

Vivian Bercovici is a former Canadian ambassador to Israel and the founder of stateoftelaviv.com, an independent media enterprise.

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