DM Katz instructs IDF to prepare for renewal of fighting in Gaza as ceasefire continues to be stuck

With the ceasefire in Gaza still stuck in its first phase, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, instructed the military to be prepared for the possibility of returning to intense fighting against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Walla News reported on Friday.

Despite the U.S. reportedly pressuring all sides to advance to the next phase of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas has still not returned the body of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili. Following the recent meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said he hopes to move to the next phase “as quickly as we can.” 

Speaking in front of Gvili’s parents at an event in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel is working on their son's return.

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly pressured Netanyahu to advance to the next phase without Gvili’s return, or at a minimum to permit reconstruction efforts to begin in the southern town of Rafah in order to show tangible progress.

However, Walla reported that there is a slim chance of Israel allowing this to happen, as security officials clarified that they have not been instructed to reopen the Rafah Border Crossing with Gaza, which is needed to enable the necessary goods to be transported for the rebuilding effort.

Israel insists on Gvili’s return, as well as a commitment from Hamas that it will disarm and that the Gaza Strip will be demilitarized, a security source affirmed.

On Wednesday, Israel Hayom reported that Trump and Netanyahu agreed to give Hamas a two-month window to disarm and that professional teams would provide clear criteria to measure Hamas’ compliance with this demand.

On the ground, the IDF continues to hold roughly 53% of the enclave while continuing to destroy terror infrastructure. Walla cited sources in the security establishment who said that, even now, only half Hamas' terror tunnels on the Israeli-controlled side have been destroyed.

Katz reportedly ordered the military to intensify its efforts to locate and destroy the remaining tunnels, and Walla confirmed that IDF combat engineers and other troops are working around the clock to destroy the underground network.

On Wednesday, the IDF announced that, during operations in the northern area of Beit Hanoun, their troops located a rocket launcher “loaded with five rockets ready to be launched toward the State of Israel”.

According to Army Radio, the IDF later clarified that this was an old launcher, which had not been placed there recently.

“IDF troops in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” the military vowed.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir toured the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, promising that the troops would “not relent and [would] continue operating until the last fallen hostage, SFC Ran Gvili, is brought to burial in Israel.”

“The year 2026 will be a decisive year in shaping the security reality of the State of Israel. Our determination to disarm Hamas of its weapons is absolute. We will not allow the Hamas terrorist organization to rebuild its capabilities and threaten us. We are positioned along the Yellow Line and control the dominant terrain overlooking the Gaza Strip – this is a new security boundary,” Zamir stated.