Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has affirmed that Israeli forces\nwill not withdraw \u201ca single millimetre\u201d from the Gaza Strip until Hamas\nfighters are disarmed.<\/p>\n
The assertion was made as the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire,\nunderpinned by a peace plan proposed by United States President Donald\nTrump to end the war, had commenced. During the second phase, Hamas is\nrequired to disarm and Israel must withdraw its forces from the Gaza\nStrip.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will never allow Hamas to remain, whether with weapons or\ntunnels. The slogan is simple: until the last tunnel,\u201d Katz said at a\nconference organised by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, as\nreported by Anadolu Agency on Wednesday (18 February 2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not move from the Yellow Line by a single millimetre until\nHamas is disarmed \u2014 of its weapons, its tunnels, and everything else,\u201d\nhe stressed.<\/p>\n
The \u201cYellow Line\u201d referred to by Katz denotes the line to which\nIsraeli forces withdrew in eastern Gaza during the first phase of the\nceasefire. Under the second phase, which began last month, Israeli\nforces are required to gradually pull back from that line.<\/p>\n
Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs said on Monday (16 February)\nthat the Tel Aviv government would give Hamas 60 days to disarm. Fuchs\nwarned that the war would resume if Hamas failed to comply.<\/p>\n
The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas took effect on 10\nOctober 2025, bringing an end to most of the fighting in the Gaza Strip.\nIn practice, however, Israel has continued air strikes and demolitions\nin the Palestinian enclave, repeatedly violating the ceasefire.<\/p>\n
Hamas\u2019s disarmament forms part of the second phase of the ceasefire,\nwhich was announced as taking effect in mid-January. This phase also\nencompasses further withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the\ncommencement of Gaza\u2019s reconstruction, the entry of additional\nhumanitarian aid, and the establishment of an administrative committee\nto govern the territory.<\/p>\n
Israeli Defence Minister Calls for Expanded Domestic Arms\nProduction<\/strong><\/p>\n Katz, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, also called on Israel to expand\ndomestic weapons production to ensure the country can defend itself\nindependently. He cited global competition for ammunition and several\ndisputes with Israeli allies during wartime as justification.<\/p>\n Katz praised the United States as a \u201cgreat ally\u201d that supported\nIsrael in confronting a \u201cmulti-front conflict\u201d, but also alluded to\ndisagreements that \u201chad an impact\u201d.<\/p>\n Katz announced that the Ministry of Defence had decided to launch a\nlong-term initiative, provisionally named \u201cShield of Israel\u201d, which\nwould add 350 billion Shekels to the defence budget over the coming\ndecade.<\/p>\n Katz said the plan was based on \u201cstrong confidence in economic\nstrength\u201d. \u201cThere is no security without an economy, and no economy\nwithout security,\u201d he declared.<\/p>",
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