Israel Orders Army to Prepare for Demolition of ‘Hamas Tunnels’

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Sunday that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to begin preparations for what he described as the “demolition of Hamas tunnels” in the Gaza Strip, declaring it the central challenge facing Israel following the implementation of the hostage release phase of the Trump-mediated Gaza ceasefire plan.

Posting on X, Katz said the upcoming operation would constitute “the major challenge for Israel after the phase of returning the hostages,” and emphasized that the work would be conducted “directly by the IDF and through the international mechanism to be established under U.S. leadership and supervision.” He added that the destruction of the underground network represents “the primary meaning” of the demilitarization and disarmament clauses of the ceasefire agreement.

האתגר הגדול של ישראל לאחר שלב החזרת החטופים יהיה הריסת כל מנהרות הטרור של חמאס בעזה באופן ישיר ע"י צה"ל ובאמצעות המנגנון הבינלאומי שיוקם בהובלת ופיקוח ארה"ב.

זאת המשמעות העיקרית של מימוש העיקרון עליו סוכם של פירוז עזה ונטרול חמאס מנשקו.

הנחיתי את צה"ל להיערך לביצוע המשימה.

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) October 12, 2025

The minister’s remarks came as part of the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, announced on September 29, which aims to end the ongoing conflict and restructure governance in Gaza. Trump declared on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of the plan, providing for a ceasefire, the release of Israeli captives, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.

The first phase of the plan, which took effect at midday Friday, required the IDF to withdraw to the yellow line — an area marking the outer edge of Israel’s ground operations — thereby triggering a 72-hour window for the exchange process between both parties.

Under this stage, Hamas is expected to release 47 remaining hostages, both living and deceased, from the 251 abducted during its October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, as well as the remains of an Israeli hostage held since 2014. In return, Israel has agreed to free 250 Palestinian prisoners, including several serving life sentences, and 1,700 Gazans detained during the two-year war.

The Israeli Prison Service confirmed that preparations were underway, with detainees being moved to Ofer Prison in the West Bank and Ketziot in the Negev desert ahead of their release. “Thousands of staff operated throughout the night to implement the government’s decision — the framework for the release of all Israeli hostages,” the service stated. Hamas has until Monday to complete the handover of all captives.

Thousands of displaced Palestinians, meanwhile, began returning to the ruins of Gaza City on Saturday — the second day of the ceasefire — as Israeli troops withdrew from multiple areas across the territory. Witnesses described long convoys of families traveling north along the coastal road, many shocked by the scale of destruction.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, President Donald Trump said he was “optimistic that the truce would hold,” noting that both sides were “tired of the fighting.” He confirmed plans to visit Israel and Egypt this weekend for discussions on Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.

A second phase of Trump’s plan will focus on the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas participation, the creation of a security force composed of Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the complete disarmament of Hamas. Katz said the demolition of tunnels would be integral to this process, describing it as the core component of Gaza’s demilitarization under the U.S.-brokered deal.

However, Hamas officials swiftly rejected the idea of disarmament, calling it “non-negotiable.”

On Saturday, Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran told AFP that the movement would not give up its weapons, describing them as “a natural right.” He said the organization remained committed to armed resistance until a “self-sovereign independent state capable of defending itself” is achieved.

Another senior Hamas official, speaking to AFP, dismissed as “absurd” any suggestion that members of the group could be expelled from Gaza under Trump’s plan. “Talk about expelling Palestinians, whether they’re Hamas members or not, from their land is nonsense,” he said.

Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim reiterated the position in an interview with Sky News, saying: “We are not going to be disarmed… until we have an independent self-sovereign state which can defend itself.”

In a separate statement, Hamas confirmed that hostage releases would begin Monday, but made clear it would boycott the formal signing ceremony of the Gaza peace deal in Egypt, stating that its participation in talks was conducted through Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

As the second phase of the ceasefire plan looms, the United States continues to shape post-war arrangements on the ground. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), announced that he had visited Gaza to discuss post-conflict stabilization efforts, emphasizing that no U.S. troops would be deployed inside Gaza.

In a statement on X, Cooper said the U.S. military would establish a civil-military coordination center to support stabilization and reconstruction under Trump’s directives. “America’s sons and daughters in uniform are answering the call to deliver peace in the Middle East in support of the Commander in Chief’s direction in this historic moment,” he wrote.

An initial contingent of 200 American personnel is expected to arrive in Israel to assist in monitoring the ceasefire as part of a multinational task force likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

While the ceasefire has so far held, critical elements remain unresolved — foremost among them the question of Hamas’s disarmament and the establishment of a post-war administrative authority in Gaza. These issues are seen as vital to preventing a resurgence of conflict, yet they remain among the most divisive points in the negotiation process.

Hamas’s unwavering position complicates Washington’s roadmap for long-term peace. Despite this, President Trump insists his plan provides “the only viable path” toward ending the cycle of war and reconstruction in Gaza while reinforcing Israel’s security interests and regional stability.

As Israel prepares to destroy Hamas’s underground network, and as displaced civilians cautiously return home, the fragile truce stands as both a test of the Trump plan’s durability and a measure of whether Gaza’s next chapter will be one of peace or renewed upheaval.