IDF troops operating along the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip have been instructed to prepare for possible Hamas fire, including sniper attacks and other terrorist activity, Channel 12 News reported Sunday evening.

According to the report, Hamas may open fire at IDF troops as part of an effort to shift the narrative and portray its attacks as responses to IDF actions that it will label as “violations.”

“Hamas is already showing increased boldness on the ground,” the report states. “In the past, the terror organization sent only women and children toward the Yellow Line. Now, Hamas terrorists themselves are approaching the volatile line in the Gaza Strip.”

The change in Hamas’s behavior is seen as an attempt to reassert control on the ground and challenge the IDF’s presence in the area, while taking advantage of the pause in combat to strengthen its hold on the territory.

Troops have been instructed to respond immediately to any threat inside the Yellow Line and eliminate terrorists who pose a danger. Strikes against terrorists beyond the Yellow Line, however, are subject to additional criteria.

A key consideration established by the Southern Command is the risk of collateral damage, with troops required to ensure that “innocent civilians” are not harmed.

The Otef Israel forum stated: “Hamas is exploiting the pause to rearm. They must not be allowed to bring in forces or weapons. This effort must be dismantled and brought down.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)