Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Sunday that the army will destroy all Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip after the release of hostages held there.

On the third day of the ceasefire, Katz clarified in a statement that these operations will take place within the framework of an “international mechanism (…) supervised by the United States.”

He said, “The big challenge for Israel after the hostage recovery phase will be to destroy all the terrorist tunnels of Hamas in Gaza.” He added, “I have ordered the army to prepare for this mission.”

Hamas has a network of tunnels under the Gaza Strip, mainly used by the Al-Qassam Brigades, its military wing. Israel has confirmed that it destroyed a large number of them during two years of war ignited by the Palestinian movement’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Under a ceasefire agreement with Israel announced Thursday, Hamas will hand over 48 hostages still in Gaza, both alive and dead, after detaining them during the October attack.

In return, Israel will release 250 “security detainees,” including many convicted of attacks against Israel, in addition to 1,700 Palestinians arrested by the Israeli army in Gaza since October 2023.

Hamas confirmed on Saturday that the hostages will be released on Monday. Katz pointed out that the tunnel destruction will be part of a “disarmament operation” of the Palestinian movement included in former US President Donald Trump’s plan, noting that implementing the second phase of the plan still requires negotiations.

Hamas leader Hossam Badran announced on Saturday that the movement’s weapons are “natural,” confirming that it “insists on not giving up its weapons.”