Defense Minister Israel Katz issued an urgent warning this morning, October 20th, 2025, for Hamas operatives to immediately evacuate areas east of the "Yellow Line" in Gaza or face targeting by the IDF. The warning, conveyed via the US-led international monitoring mechanism overseeing the ceasefire, stated that any Hamas operative remaining in Israeli-controlled territory beyond the Yellow Line will be targeted without further warning to ensure IDF troop safety. This directive comes after two soldiers were killed and three wounded yesterday by an RPG and sniper fire attack originating from a tunnel within Israeli-held territory in southern Gaza's Rafah. Over the past hour, the IDF reported engaging and firing upon two separate groups of Palestinian terror operatives who crossed the Yellow Line in the Shejaiya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City. According to the IDF, these operatives posed an "imminent threat" to troops operating in the area. In a similar incident earlier today, the IDF eliminated an armed terrorist cell that approached IDF forces in the Beit Lahia area of the northern Gaza Strip, also after crossing the Yellow Line and posing an immediate threat. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, architects of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for the Trump administration, landed in Israel a short time ago. The military has assessed that Hamas operatives remain within the terror group's tunnels in areas under IDF control, despite Hamas claiming it had lost communication with operatives in these zones following yesterday's attack. Defense Minister Katz emphasized that the protection of IDF soldiers is the top priority and all necessary steps will be taken to ensure it.
