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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/katz-orders-tunnel-demolition-plan--sparks-fears-of-ceasefir">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Katz orders tunnel demolition plan, sparks fears of ceasefire collapse</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time">October 12, 2025</div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>"Israel's"
Security Minister Israel Katz announces a new military plan directing
the IOF to destroy Hamas's tunnel network in Gaza.</p><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
<a href="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/10/12/0c4a854a-6fff-4567-a0d5-d82ef8a5ffbd.jpg?width=1000" tabindex="0"><img src="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/10/12/0c4a854a-6fff-4567-a0d5-d82ef8a5ffbd.jpg?width=1000&preset=w700" alt="Displaced Palestinians walk amid destroyed buildings in the heavily damaged Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (AP)" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"></a>
Displaced Palestinians walk amid destroyed buildings in the
heavily damaged Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, Saturday,
October 11, 2025. (<em>AP</em>)
</li></div></ul>
<p>Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz has announced plans for a new
military operation in Gaza, instructing the Israel Occupation Forces
(IOF) to prepare for the destruction of <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/no-active-resistance-tunnels-in-philadelphi-corridor--israel">underground tunnels</a>.</p>
<p>In a statement posted on X, Katz said, "The major challenge for
Israel after the phase of returning the hostages will be the destruction
of all of Hamas's terror tunnels in Gaza, directly by the [IOF] and
through the international mechanism to be established under US
leadership and supervision."</p>
<p>He claimed that dismantling the tunnels is essential for implementing
the ceasefire's clause on "demilitarizing Gaza and disarming Hamas."
Katz added that he had "instructed the [IOF] to prepare to carry out the
mission."</p>
<p>Observers, however, warn that the announcement represents a clear
attempt to expand "Israel's" military control under the pretext of
security. The current <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-ceasefire-takes-effect---israel--resumes-bombing--timin">ceasefire agreement</a>,
mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, explicitly outlines a
phased process in which reconstruction, humanitarian access, and
political dialogue must precede any disarmament discussions.
Unilaterally ordering the destruction of tunnels in areas no longer
under Israeli control would therefore constitute a breach of the truce
and a violation of international law, analysts warn.</p>
<p>Humanitarian experts warn that renewed operations could jeopardize
aid delivery to Gaza's displaced population and risk reigniting
large-scale hostilities before the international oversight mechanism
envisioned in the ceasefire is even operational.</p>
<h2>Subterranean survival</h2>
<p>"Israel's" fixation on Gaza's tunnels reflects its continued military
occupation and intelligence failures rather than a viable security
plan, Palestinian commentators say. In July 2024, even Israeli officials
admitted that after nine months of warfare, they still lacked a full
understanding of the tunnel network, described by one security source as
a "<a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-security-source-likens-hamas-tunnels-to--spider-s-we">spider's web</a>."
The Israeli military's own "Atlantis Project," which sought to flood
tunnels with seawater, was ultimately abandoned after failing to achieve
its objectives.</p>
<p>A later <em><a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-built-underground-war-machine-for-survival--washpo">Washington Post</a></em>
investigation in October 2024 wrote that the Resistance's tunnels,
dubbed the "Gaza metro", were not only a military asset but also a means
of survival for a besieged population enduring years of blockade and
bombardment. The report described how the tunnels enabled the transport
of food, medicine, and materials under conditions of total siege, while
also serving as shelters for fighters and civilians during Israel's
bombing campaigns.</p>
<h2>Armed sovereignty</h2>
<p>Palestinian Resistance groups, including Hamas and the PIJ, argue
that disarmament cannot occur under occupation, insisting that their
right to resist is protected under international law until sovereignty
and self-determination are achieved. Hamas leaders have rejected any
plan requiring them to<a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-proposed-arms-handover-off-the-table--non-negotiable---hama"> surrender weapons</a>, calling such demands one-sided and unrealistic given "Israel's" continued military presence and daily violations of the truce.</p>
<p>With reconstruction stalled and nearly two million people still
displaced, the latest Israeli announcement raises fears that the
ceasefire may once again give way to renewed aggression. Hamas has also
confirmed it will not take part in the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit,
dismissing the gathering as symbolic and asserting that any meaningful
negotiations must address the root causes of occupation and blockade.</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/trump--el-sisi-to-co-chair-gaza-peace-summit-in-sharm-el-she">Trump, el-Sisi to co-chair Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh</a></strong></p></div></div></div>
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