IDF troops locate hidden weapons in Hamas tunnel near Yellow Line in Gaza
IDF soldiers have uncovered weapons and at least three subterranean terrorist hideouts in a 1-kilometer-long Hamas tunnel close to the Yellow Line, established following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October, which divides the Gaza Strip into an Israeli-controlled area and a zone controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization.
Israeli troops from the Kfir Brigade, part of the IDF’s Gaza Division, were tasked with locating weapons and Hamas hideouts along the eastern side of the Yellow Line, uncovering subterranean weapons caches in cooperation with the Yahalom Unit, which specializes in identifying and dismantling underground tunnel networks.
The military confirmed that IDF soldiers will continue to operate in the area to neutralize any potential security threats against the State of Israel in accordance with the American ceasefire agreement.
Hamas is required to disarm under the ceasefire agreement. However, the terror group has, so far, refused to disarm.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Hamas would be “blown away very quickly” if it did not lay down its weapons in the next few weeks.
Trump is optimistic about peace in the Middle East; however, he admitted that cooperation from Hamas to disarm is challenging.
“Now, you know, they were born with a weapon in their hand, so it's not easy to do,” Trump said.
Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who serves as a senior U.S. envoy to the Middle East, unveiled the Trump administration’s Gaza reconstruction “master plan” at the Davos inauguration of the Board of Peace.
Kushner stressed that Gaza’s future was linked to the demilitarization of Hamas as a military power in the coastal enclave.
“If Hamas does not demilitarize, that will be what holds back Gaza and the people of Gaza from achieving their aspiration,” he warned. Kushner added that Hamas operatives who agree to disarm would be offered amnesty, reintegration, or safe passage out of the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. envoy outlined the Trump administration’s long-term peace vision for Israel and its immediate neighbors, saying, “Our goal here is peace between Israel and the Palestinian people. Everyone wants to live peacefully. Everyone wants to live with dignity.”
He said the plan envisions decommissioning Hamas’ heavy weapons and eventually transferring personal arms to areas of Gaza where a new police force “becomes capable of guaranteeing personal security.”
Kushner did not specify who would be responsible for disarming Hamas if the group refuses to cooperate. Several Muslim-majority countries have offered to deploy forces to Gaza as part of a U.S.-led International Stabilization Force (ISF), but potential participants have emphasized they would not directly confront Hamas and would remain positioned on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.