Jerusalem: The Israeli defense minister announced on Friday that he has directed the military to dismantle all tunnels in the Gaza Strip. This directive comes despite an existing ceasefire agreement with Hamas that commenced on October 10.

According to Anadolu Agency, the defense minister, Israel Katz, conveyed through the social media platform X that his orders to the army were explicit: "Up to the last tunnel. I have instructed the army to destroy and obliterate all the tunnels in Gaza." Katz asserted that the elimination of the tunnels would effectively weaken Hamas, though he did not provide details about the tunnels' locations.

In addition to his comments on the tunnels, Katz declared the border area with Egypt a closed military zone due to security issues. He warned that any unauthorized entry into this restricted area would result in harm, as reported by the public broadcaster KAN. This announcement followed a discussion where Katz, alongside Shin Bet chief David Zinni, agreed to treat alleged weapon smuggling attempts across the Egyptian border as a "terrorist threat," thus enabling security forces to take necessary action.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the defense minister ordered actions against any unauthorized entities entering the restricted zone. The publication suggested that this decision was prompted by alleged significant weapon smuggling activities along the border, a claim that Egypt has previously denied, dismissing Israeli assertions about tunnel networks beneath the border region.

For over two years, the Israeli military has conducted extensive operations across Gaza, claiming the focus is on Hamas infrastructure, notably its underground tunnel networks.