IDF chief visits Gaza, vows army will continue ‘operating proactively’ against Hamas

Military says combat engineers destroyed a tunnel containing dozens of rockets, as Israel pushes back against US-backed disarmament plan’s call to halt military operations in Strip

Touring the Gaza Strip, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that the army was “systematically striking Hamas,” amid Israeli pushback over a US-backed disarmament plan that would require a halt to military operations in the enclave.

“We have significantly weakened [Hamas] and changed the security reality,” Zamir said, according to remarks provided by the army.

“The Israel Defense Forces will continue to operate proactively. We will not allow a threat to emerge on our borders as we experienced on October 7,” Zamir added, hours after the military said combat engineers recently demolished a tunnel in southern Gaza that contained dozens of rockets.

The remarks followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration Tuesday that Israel has not agreed to the disarmament proposal, which Hamas accepted last week. While pushing back against the plan’s call to stop IDF operations in Gaza, Netanyahu did not deny reports that Israel has agree to tighten the rules of engagement, requiring the approval of the IDF chief of staff before any single strike can go ahead.

The proposal also stipulates that Israeli forces will return to the line of control at the time of October 2025 ceasefire and hostage release deal, though Netanyahu vowed not to withdraw “from our current lines” in Gaza “until Hamas is completely disarmed.”

Separately Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he instructed the army not to carry out a planned reduction in the number of active duty reservists in the Gaza border communities’ civil defense squads.

The IDF has sought to release from reserve duty members of local security teams on all fronts, as their service is superfluous and costly.

The military has two divisions operating in Gaza, and the civil defense squads in the border communities remain armed even outside of active reserve duty.

Katz said the IDF will not carry out any further reduction in forces until a decision otherwise, “in order to preserve the residents’ sense of security.”

Also Wednesday, the Kan public broadcaster reported that Hamas will be relocating its behind-the-scenes operations to Turkey while leaving much of its public activity in Qatar.

The news outlet said the decision came in part after Doha expressed dissatisfaction with the terror group’s decision to elect Khalil al-Hayya as its new leader.

In the wake of that decision, Qatar has pressed Hamas to receive approval for all of its official activity carried out in Doha, according to the broadcaster.