Israel doubts global mission’s ability to eliminate Gaza tunnels

Senior officials in Israel’s defence establishment have expressed scepticism over the ability of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to destroy the remaining tunnels in the Gaza Strip used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

According to them, this task would require a specialised international engineering unit specifically created to dismantle the underground infrastructure that survived the war, Caliber.Az reports, citing Haaretz.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have advised the government to withdraw troops to positions that would allow effective protection of Israeli border communities, even if that means pulling back east of the line established under the cease-fire agreement.

The military also insists that Palestinians should not be allowed to return to the “border zones” of Gaza, which remain under IDF operational control, to prevent potential clashes with soldiers.

It remains unclear what exact responsibilities the army will have in the second phase of the agreement with Hamas, but the withdrawal process has already begun.

Troops are evacuating temporary bases and outposts in Gaza, some units are being redeployed, many reservists have been released from duty, and planned call-ups have been cancelled.

During a meeting between Israeli commanders and US Vice President J.D. Vance, the Israeli side requested that Washington ensure the full implementation of the first phase of the deal and make the return of the bodies of deceased hostages a mandatory condition for moving to the second phase.

The IDF also urged coordination on the composition of international forces to prevent the participation of Turkish units and to ensure that Hamas retains no military or administrative capabilities.

The proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for the Gaza Strip is a central element of Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, under which the Israel Defence Forces would gradually hand over occupied territory to an international security mission while training a vetted Palestinian police force.

US advisers say planning is already underway and discussions are active with countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar and Azerbaijan to deploy troops, though no U.S. personnel are expected to enter Gaza directly.

By Jeyhun Aghazada