Ari Hoffman

My report from Gaza for @NewYorkSun The sound of drones fills the air as I stand on top of an Israeli army base overlooking the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. An Israeli flag towers over me, symbolizing the Jewish country’s control of this side of the war-torn enclave — some 60 percent of the entire area, according to the IDF. A sign warning of sniper fire from Hamas hangs on the fortified position, where sandbags and HESCO-style barriers offer me some but not full protection. “That’s the yellow line mark,” a commander from the IDF’s Gaza Division tells the New York Sun and other foreign journalists as he points toward a brick with yellow paint on it about one kilometer from where we stand.  For a frontline that separates two of the world’s biggest enemies, it’s not easy to make out. It is marked on bricks and stones, all painted yellow and spaced at various intervals. When asked what happens if someone crosses the line, the commander says they have orders to shoot to kill only if it’s someone who poses a danger to the army. If it’s a child or someone who is unarmed, the army will fire warning shots and yell at them to go back. “We have visual evidence that Hamas sends kids to different points (across the yellow line) just to see what happens. If it’s a kid we won’t shoot next to him or we will shout if we are at range. It’s a major challenge,” he says.