IDF forces fired on a Hamas sniper near a military deployment line in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after determining that he posed an immediate threat to troops, the military said, in the first publicly announced strike under new restrictions on military operations in the territory.
Troops from the 99th Division identified the sniper near the so-called "yellow line," where Israeli forces are deployed in northern Gaza and maintain observation and fire control under a U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement, the military said.
IDF forces operating in Gaza
(Photo: IDF)
The troops opened fire to remove what the military described as an immediate threat and identified a hit. The military did not immediately provide additional information about the sniper’s condition.
The incident comes as Israel has changed the way its forces operate in Gaza following instructions from the political leadership, shifting from proactive offensive operations to a more restrictive posture focused primarily on responding to threats.
Under directives that took effect last week, Israeli troops can immediately use force when confronting an imminent threat. Targeted strikes against individuals who do not pose an immediate danger, however, require approval from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the political leadership.
The new procedures have significantly narrowed the authority of forces in the field to initiate attacks and place decisions on planned targeted strikes at the highest levels of the military and government.
“IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” the military said Tuesday in announcing the shooting.
The military’s statement marked its first public report of an attack carried out under the new directives in Gaza.
Israeli forces had not previously opened fire beyond the yellow line since the new instructions took effect. In Tuesday’s incident, the military said the sniper was close to the line and posed a threat to Israeli troops, prompting them to fire.
The operational change comes despite public objections from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to plans for Gaza being advanced by the international Board of Peace. In practice, however, conditions on the ground have already changed, and officials associated with the board have said Israel is cooperating with its efforts.
Netanyahu has publicly voiced opposition to elements of the board’s plans for the territory, but the Israeli government has nevertheless instructed the military to adopt the more restrained operational policy.
The yellow line has become a key boundary governing Israeli military activity in Gaza under the current arrangements. IDF troops remain deployed on their side of the line, with the military saying it retains the right to respond to threats against its forces.