The Post’s visit to Gaza reveals fragile Israel-Hamas cease-fire

GAZA STRIP — Israel and Hamas’ cease-fire remains in place — but the firing hasn’t ceased, The Post can reveal after being among the first news outlets allowed into Gaza since President Trump’s peace plan went into effect last month.

Across miles of devastation, dozens of Israeli Defense Force positions dot the outskirts of Gaza behind the “yellow line” marking the withdrawal established under Phase 1 of the plan. From there, soldiers keep watch for Hamas militants still bent on attacks despite the fragile truce.

“Gaza City has hundreds of thousands of people — and thousands of Hamas terrorists,” IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told The Post on Wednesday. “The only thing standing between those Hamas terrorists and our civilians just a two-minute drive away is the IDF soldiers here.”

Closer to the city, the yellow line is breached regularly by armed Hamas operatives, sometimes with deadly consequences, Shoshani said. Since the cease-fire began, three Israeli soldiers have been killed in attacks that occurred despite the truce, with the IDF responding to each violation.

“We’ve seen Hamas test us on a daily basis, then they claim Israel is attacking civilians,” he said. “Our operations are against violations — against Hamas when they cross or attack and kill troops.”

The battlefield is a stark, haunting sight. Gaza City looms in the distance with towering buildings, while nearby neighborhoods are utterly obliterated — leaving only concrete blocks and dust where apartments and shops once stood. The Post was unable to assess the human toll firsthand, as the IDF would not escort reporters across the yellow line.

“We haven’t crossed the yellow line,” Shoshani said. “We have only acted when Hamas violated the agreement — whether it’s crossing the line or killing our soldiers. We responded heavily to every violation.”

The truce, brokered with U.S. support, was meant to bring stability, allow hostages to be returned, and enable humanitarian aid. But Hamas has yet to agree to Phase 2 of the plan — disarmament — and Shoshani said the militants continue to “test” Israel, risking renewed conflict.

“What needs to happen now is Hamas needs to do their part of the agreement,” he said. “All hostages should have been returned within 72 hours — that deadline passed a month ago. Hamas needs to stop testing us, and Hamas needs to disarm.”

Israel remains committed to the cease-fire, he said, and has pulled back behind the yellow line, now marked with large concrete blocks. But militants continue attempting to creep toward Israeli positions.

“In these areas, when there’s suspicious activity, we act against it,” Shoshani said. “We check it. We’re demolishing, exploding, or filling tunnels with concrete.”

Hamas spent years constructing tunnels beneath civilian homes — a strategy that makes Gaza’s eventual reconstruction extremely difficult. When Israelis destroyed a web of underground passages, the buildings above crumbled.

“This area needs to have no more tunnels, no more terror infrastructure, and no more terrorists,” he said. “That’s the main point moving forward — and it doesn’t seem like Hamas has changed their agenda.”

While Hamas has not committed to Phase 2 and continues attempting to provoke Israel, Shoshani said international pressure could force compliance.

“Hamas isn’t going to disarm themselves — someone’s going to have to make them,” he said. “There’s a big coalition of countries committed to this agreement, and pressure from different partners can be effective.”

Shoshani emphasized that Israel will never allow a repeat of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds.

“We can never allow that to be the reality again,” he said. “This region can never move forward if Hamas remains in power. If there are still terrorists in Gaza, there can be no reconstruction, no rebuilding, and no stability.”

From a frontline position near what was once the Gaza town of Sajaiya, Shoshani pointed across the devastated terrain.

“You can see the entire Gaza envelope community from here,” he said. “On Oct. 7, within 60 seconds, people from Sajaiya were able to infiltrate Israel and murder people within a minute or two.”

The Sajaiya area itself was heavily infested with tunnels, explosives, and IEDs.

“We came back to fight here multiple times, with Hamas returning to these positions again and again,” Shoshani said. “In recent weeks, we’ve seen Hamas violate the agreement in this area, crossing in an armed manner with attempts to carry out attacks. We’ve also seen hostages returned from this area, and there are still ongoing operations to look for more hostages.”

IDF positions sit 100–200 meters from the yellow line, Shoshani said, intentionally allowing time to warn those who cross to turn back or face gunfire.

“Most of the people crossing right now are Hamas,” he said. “In the few cases it’s not, we warn them, and they go back. Israel does not automatically open fire. There’s distance — time to warn and give people an opportunity to turn around.”

But Hamas continues to exploit those warnings.

“We’ve seen Hamas test us on a daily basis. Then they claim Israel is attacking civilians. Israel has not crossed the yellow line once. Our operations are against violations — against Hamas, when they cross or attack and kill troops.”

Shoshani said Israel’s policy is clear: protect civilians while preventing Hamas attacks.

“What’s important for Americans to know is that Israel is committed to the agreement. We’ve moved back to the yellow line and haven’t moved in once. Aid is going in, and we are holding our positions. But we cannot allow jihadi terrorists to be a minute or two away from our grandmothers and children ever again.”

“Hamas hopes people forget what happened on Oct. 7,” he added. “They hope people are content with this agreement so they can stay armed in Gaza. But this region can never move forward if Hamas is in power. A better future — for us and for Gazans — is one without Hamas.”