Israel Sets Up ‘Yellow Line’ In Lebanon For Hezbollah, Like One In Gaza For Hamas
Israel marks a ‘Yellow Line’ in southern Lebanon as ceasefire tensions persist, with strikes reported near the newly defined boundary. Image courtesy: representative image via Wikimedia commons
Israel on Saturday (April 18, 2026) said it had set up a ‘Yellow Line’ in southern Lebanon, similar to the one separating its forces from Hamas-held Gaza, noting that it hit a “terrorist cell” operating near its troops along the newly demarcated boundary.
“Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” Israel said, referring to such a line for the first time since a ceasefire came into effect.
This was the first time that the Israeli military referred to a ‘Yellow Line’ in southern Lebanon, and it comes after a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon came into effect on Thursday (April 16).
In Gaza, too, Israel had established the ‘Yellow Line’ after a ceasefire took effect in October 2025. The so-called line divided the Palestinian territory into separate zones, with the eastern areas controlled by the Israeli military and the western areas by Hamas.
After establishing the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military targeted Hezbollah militants close to where its troops were stationed, following which it said: “attacks taken in self-defence and to remove immediate threat are not restricted by the ceasefire.”
Later, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that the ongoing 10-day truce with Israel cannot continue unless both sides uphold it. “A ceasefire means a complete cessation of all hostilities. Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field with their hands on the trigger, and they will respond to violations accordingly,” Qassem said in a statement.
Qassem also demanded that Israel completely withdraw from Lebanon. The next steps, Qassem said, would focus on the release of prisoners and the return of residents to their homes in the border areas. A final step, he said, would involve a significant reconstruction campaign, coupled with international Arab support.
