Israel has announced plans to demolish what remains of Hamas’s extensive network of tunnels beneath Gaza, with approval from the United States, once the ongoing hostage release process is completed.
Defence Minister Israel Katz revealed on Sunday that the operation will be carried out under an “international mechanism” led by the United States, which has been instrumental in brokering the three-day-old Gaza ceasefire.
“Israel’s great challenge after the hostage release phase will be the destruction of all Hamas terrorist tunnels in Gaza,” Katz said in a statement. “I have ordered the army to prepare to carry out this mission.”
The tunnels, built and maintained by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, serve as a strategic underground network used to transport fighters, weapons, and supplies while evading Israeli surveillance. Some of these tunnels have even stretched beneath the border fence into Israeli territory, enabling surprise assaults.
Many of these underground passages have already been destroyed during the two-year conflict that followed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which sparked one of the deadliest wars in the region’s history.
Katz stated that the remaining tunnels will be targeted as part of a larger framework aimed at disarming and demilitarizing Hamas—objectives outlined in the subsequent stages of the US-backed ceasefire agreement.
The first stage of the ceasefire plan, already underway, resulted in a temporary truce beginning Friday and is expected to see the release of 48 Israeli hostages—both living and deceased—by Monday.
In exchange, Israel is set to free 250 “national security prisoners,” some of whom were convicted of deadly attacks, along with 1,700 Gazans detained by the Israeli military.
However, despite progress in the initial phase, Hamas has shown reluctance to comply with full disarmament demands. On Sunday, senior Hamas official Hossam Badran told AFP that the second stage of the US-led initiative “contains many complexities and difficulties.”
What You Should Know
Israel’s upcoming military operation aims to dismantle Hamas’s remaining tunnel network under Gaza as part of a broader disarmament process tied to a US-backed ceasefire.
The plan follows the release of hostages and prisoners, marking a crucial phase in ongoing efforts to end hostilities and weaken Hamas’s military infrastructure.
