Israeli army chief says Gaza demilitarization remains top goal

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Israeli army chief says Gaza demilitarization remains top goal

2026-02-14 10:37 Last Updated At：02-15 14:13

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said on Friday that Israel remains committed to the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"We are not giving up on the war goal -- the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas," Zamir said during a tour of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

Accompanied by senior commanders, he ordered forces to intensify clearing operations in the area with a focus on destroying tunnel networks.

The army chief noted that troops are deployed along the "Yellow Line," demarcating Israeli-controlled areas under the ceasefire, systematically clearing "terrorist" infrastructure while controlling access to the strip.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF said in a statement that its troops in the northern Gaza Strip identified two militants entering a structure east of the "Yellow Line." The Israeli Air Force subsequently struck the building, with a hit confirmed.

A day earlier, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said Palestinian factions would not give up their weapons unless Israel fully adheres to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The latest Hamas-Israel ceasefire, in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, initially focused on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid to Gaza. A proposed second phase of the peace plan calls for a full Israeli military withdrawal, the disarmament of Hamas, and the start of reconstruction in the enclave under a transitional governing authority.

Tehran hit by large-scale US-Israeli air attacks

Iran's capital Tehran was subjected to large-scale airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Friday night while two U.S. warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, Iranian forces said.

At around 21:00, an aircraft was seen flying over northeastern Tehran, and subsequently, Iran's air defense system was activated.

More than two hours later, Iran was hit by another air attack, leading to major explosions. It came after the Iranian military announced that its air defense system had successfully shot down a U.S. A-10 fighter jet, marking the second U.S. warplane hit by Iranian fire that day. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday night threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," a timeline he has recently set for ending the monthlong war.

Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire delivered to Iran through a "friendly" country, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday.

The report added that Iran's response to the offer was not given in writing, but through the continuation of attacks in the battlefield.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.