Israel vows to destroy the remaining Hamas tunnels under Gaza upon obtaining the approval of the United States after the release of its hostages, according to Al Arabiya.
Defense Minister Israel Katz unveiled that the operation would adopt an “international mechanism” led by the United States, which brokered the three-day-old ceasefire in Gaza.
“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.
He also noted that Israel would demolish these tunnels as part of Hamas’s disarmament and demilitarization process, outlined in the next phases of the US-backed ceasefire plan.
“I have ordered the army to prepare to carry out this mission,” Katz added.
The Palestinian group has agreed to implement the first stage of the ceasefire plan, which took effect on Friday, temporarily stopping fighting and clashes in Gaza.
Moreover, this initial phase will see the release of 48 Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, by Monday.
In return, Israel would release 250 “national security prisoners,” including Palestinians accused of committing deadly attacks, along with 1,700 Gazans who have been held in military detention.
However, Hamas has dismissed the demands for disarmament.
On Sunday, senior Hamas official Hossam Badran told AFP that the second phase of the US-backed plan “contains many complexities and difficulties.”
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