Next phase: Israel targets total tunnel demolition in Gaza

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, declared Sunday that the Israeli military will move to destroy all Hamas tunnels in Gaza after the release of hostages under the ongoing ceasefire agreement. 

Katz emphasized that this operation will be conducted within a framework of international oversight, particularly under U.S. supervision.

“The major challenge for Israel, following the hostage restitution stage, will be the destruction of all terrorist tunnels of Hamas in Gaza,” Katz said in a statement.
“I have ordered the army to prepare for this mission.”

Katz’s announcement comes on the third day of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. He framed the tunnel destruction as part of a broader vision of “demilitarization” of Hamas—an objective also central to the U.S.‑brokered plan by Donald Trump, whose second phase remains under negotiation.

Hamas operates an extensive underground network beneath the Gaza Strip, widely used by its armed wing. Over the past two years of conflict, Israel has claimed to have destroyed many tunnels—but the system’s scale and complexity have made total elimination a formidable challenge.

Katz’s bold rhetoric signals that, once hostages are out, Israel intends to intensify efforts to dismantle Hamas’s subterranean infrastructure entirely.

In appealing to foreign stakeholders, Katz cautioned that such operations must occur under “international mechanisms … under U.S. supervision.” This signals Israel’s desire to secure legitimacy and external support, rather than act unilaterally in doing so.

The destruction of tunnels is seen as a pivotal step toward achieving lasting security and preventing future surprise attacks through underground infiltration.