Israeli defense minister orders army to continue demolitions in Gaza
Yisrael Katz says move coordinated with US to dismantle Hamas, destroy tunnels
Israeli soldiers raid the Kabr Hulwa area and demolished a five-story building under construction between the towns of Dar Salah and al-Shawawra, claiming it was unauthorized in Bethlehem, West Bank
ISTANBUL
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said Saturday that he instructed the army to continue demolitions in the part of the Gaza Strip remaining under Israeli control as part of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
“I have instructed the IDF (military) to prioritize the destruction of the tunnels as the central task in the yellow zone currently under our control, alongside protecting the soldiers and communities,” Katz wrote on US social media platform X.
He said it is being done in parallel with the discussions with US officials, including the vice president, secretaries of state and defense, presidential envoys and CENTCOM commanders -- on the need to implement US President Donald Trump’s plan and ensure the full “dismantling and destruction of all terror tunnels in the remaining territory under their responsibility, alongside disarming Hamas.”
“Demilitarizing Gaza through the destruction of Hamas's terror tunnels, alongside disarming Hamas, is, in my view, the most important strategic objective for achieving victory in Gaza,” he said.
Katz added that the most urgent moral mission is the return of all hostages and the fallen to their homes, and “we will do everything to fulfill this sacred and critical mission.”
“The overarching strategic mission to realize the great victory achieved by the heroic IDF fighters against Hamas terrorists in Gaza is the demilitarization of Gaza through the complete destruction of the terror tunnels, 60% of which still remain—alongside disarming Hamas,” he said.
The phased Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered through regional and international mediation, took effect Oct. 10.
Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a partial Israeli withdrawal. It also envisages rebuilding Gaza and establishing a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Since October 2023, the Israeli genocidal war has killed more than 68,500 victims and injured more than 170,300 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
