Defense Minister Israel Katz sent a direct and unequivocal message Monday to President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace following a series of targeted strikes against terrorists advancing terror operations in Gaza despite the ceasefire. In his remarks, Katz signaled that “the time is approaching when the IDF will dismantle Hamas itself and clear Gaza of weapons and tunnels.”
4+“I commend the IDF and the Shin Bet for eliminating Hamas terrorists last night in Gaza, continuing the ongoing operations against anyone attempting to advance terrorist activity against Israel,” Katz said, emphasizing: “We will continue to act forcefully until Hamas is dismantled and Gaza is cleared of weapons and tunnels—in accordance with the hostage release agreement led by the U.S., or practically by the IDF itself. The time is approaching, and the IDF is ready to carry out the mission.”
The defense minister also addressed the policy of eliminating massacre perpetrators, making clear: “In accordance with the directive the prime minister and I gave the IDF, we must continue eliminating anyone who took part in the October 7 crimes in Gaza or abroad. All will face justice—and there will be no immunity for any of them anywhere.”
4+Katz’s tough remarks come amid growing tension and political controversy surrounding the American administration’s “peace council” initiative to demilitarize Gaza. Recall that the framework agreement to disarm Hamas was announced at the end of July by President Trump, with the terror organization claiming it accepted the 15-point understanding document that included relinquishing its civilian rule.
However, implementing the framework has encountered significant difficulties: while the original proposal established gradual demilitarization in five different sectors—in each of which the IDF would be required to withdraw forces—Israel firmly refused any withdrawal before complete demilitarization. Following Israeli pressure, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner led a “single-phase” framework, under which Hamas would be required to surrender all its weapons at once before any Israeli withdrawal begins.
4+Meanwhile, during September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a rehabilitation plan was presented that included deploying international stabilization forces to disarm weapons (including forces from Morocco and Kosovo), but Israel made clear that “everyone understands Hamas won’t dismantle itself voluntarily”—a position that received Washington’s approval, according to which if the terror organization doesn’t dismantle voluntarily, the IDF will do so by force with international backing.
In the past month, opposition in Israel has intensified: government ministers and Gaza envelope local leaders demanded clarification that the framework is unacceptable to Israel as long as Hamas maintains covert governance, and the IDF effectively blocked establishment of the first post for the international force in Gaza. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear in closed-door conversations that Israel completely rejects the current understanding document, since critical clauses regarding weapons dismantlement were softened or omitted, and emphasized that Israel will support only a force that will carry out aggressive demilitarization in practice instead of the IDF.
4+Simultaneously, alongside the political struggle and blocking of agreements, Israeli forces continue operating on the ground to thwart the terror organization’s strengthening. Over the past weekend, the IDF eliminated from the air three terrorists from Hamas’s military wing in northern Gaza who were working to restore military capabilities and advance terror operations against Israeli forces in systematic violation of the ceasefire.
In a strike in the Daraj Tuffah area, Abdullah Mohammed Hamis Jaber was killed—a key figure in Hamas’s production headquarters who took part in rehabilitation and development processes of combat means—along with cell commander Majed Ahmed Mustafa Sabbagh. In another strike in Jabaliya, Amer Bashir Mohammed Hourani, a terrorist from the organization’s engineering battalion, was eliminated.
4+As noted, these targeted eliminations come about a year after the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, with IDF Southern Command forces continuing to control over 60% of Gaza’s territory and deployed throughout the area in accordance with the agreement, while making it unequivocally clear they will continue acting forcefully to remove any threat.