Israeli defence minister vows to destroy all Gaza tunnels

Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said on X that he has instructed the Israel Defence Forces to destroy and eliminate all tunnels in Gaza, arguing that without tunnels there would be no Hamas. 

He posted the comment following a night-time government meeting in which ministers discussed what to do about roughly 200 militants believed to be trapped in tunnels under Rafah, Caliber.Az reports per Israeli media. 

Ministers examined several options during the cabinet session, the defence minister acknowledged, and he admitted that he had at one point considered expelling the militants found in those tunnels.

He said, however, that after a series of incidents during the ceasefire that resulted in the deaths of three IDF soldiers he had changed his position and that the expulsion option was taken off the agenda.

According to participants, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz asked Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir whether he supported moving the militants out of Rafah with safe passage to a so-called “yellow zone.”

Zamir rejected the idea, participants said, telling colleagues he was categorically opposed and that the only “safe passage” he was prepared to provide would be to transfer the militants to Sde Teman prison — in their underwear, handcuffs and blindfolds.

By Sabina Mammadli