Israeli Forces Refuse to Withdraw from Gaza Until Hamas Disarms
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has affirmed that Israeli forces will not withdraw “a single millimetre” from the Gaza Strip until Hamas fighters are disarmed.
The assertion was made as the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, underpinned by a peace plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump to end the war, had commenced. During the second phase, Hamas is required to disarm and Israel must withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip.
“We will never allow Hamas to remain, whether with weapons or tunnels. The slogan is simple: until the last tunnel,” Katz said at a conference organised by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, as reported by Anadolu Agency on Wednesday (18 February 2026).
“We will not move from the Yellow Line by a single millimetre until Hamas is disarmed — of its weapons, its tunnels, and everything else,” he stressed.
The “Yellow Line” referred to by Katz denotes the line to which Israeli forces withdrew in eastern Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire. Under the second phase, which began last month, Israeli forces are required to gradually pull back from that line.
Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs said on Monday (16 February) that the Tel Aviv government would give Hamas 60 days to disarm. Fuchs warned that the war would resume if Hamas failed to comply.
The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas took effect on 10 October 2025, bringing an end to most of the fighting in the Gaza Strip. In practice, however, Israel has continued air strikes and demolitions in the Palestinian enclave, repeatedly violating the ceasefire.
Hamas’s disarmament forms part of the second phase of the ceasefire, which was announced as taking effect in mid-January. This phase also encompasses further withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the commencement of Gaza’s reconstruction, the entry of additional humanitarian aid, and the establishment of an administrative committee to govern the territory.
Israeli Defence Minister Calls for Expanded Domestic Arms Production
Katz, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, also called on Israel to expand domestic weapons production to ensure the country can defend itself independently. He cited global competition for ammunition and several disputes with Israeli allies during wartime as justification.
Katz praised the United States as a “great ally” that supported Israel in confronting a “multi-front conflict”, but also alluded to disagreements that “had an impact”.
Katz announced that the Ministry of Defence had decided to launch a long-term initiative, provisionally named “Shield of Israel”, which would add 350 billion Shekels to the defence budget over the coming decade.
Katz said the plan was based on “strong confidence in economic strength”. “There is no security without an economy, and no economy without security,” he declared.