Israeli defence minister Israel Katz on Sunday said he ordered the IDF to prepare for the demolition of all Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip.“The major challenge for Israel after the phase of returning the hostages will be the destruction of all of Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza, directly by the IDF and through the international mechanism to be established under US leadership and supervision,” he said on X.
Katz said the move is aimed at demilitarizing Gaza and disarming Hamas. He added that he has directed the IDF to prepare for the operation.The Israeli military has targeted multiple hospitals during the war, claiming Hamas uses them to hide fighters and coordinate operations, a claim Hamas denies. While Israel has provided evidence in some instances, several of its allegations remain unverified, as cited by Reuters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel will “expand the circle of peace” as the ceasefire with Hamas took effect, according to the Israeli army. On the issue of Gaza troop withdrawal, he added that forces will remain in the territory to pressure Hamas until it is disarmed.Netanyahu said the hostages are expected to return in the coming days, expressing hope that Israel could mark a “day of joy” from Monday night if they are released. He reported that 20 Israeli hostages remain alive in Gaza, while 28 have died. A senior Hamas official confirmed that the release of 48 hostages, mostly Israelis, held in Gaza is set to begin Monday morning under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.Israeli forces began withdrawing from certain positions in Gaza on Friday as thousands of displaced Palestinians started returning home.Long columns of families, many barefoot or pushing bicycles carrying salvaged belongings, moved along Gaza’s coastal highway toward Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center and the site of intense Israeli offensives. To the south, residents navigated the rubble of Khan Younis, formerly Gaza’s second-largest city, now largely destroyed.The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities and a music festival that killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken, has since claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
