RismadarVoice Reporters
September 2, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza, declaring that “we are not retreating” during his first visit to the territory since a ceasefire with Hamas took effect in October 2025.
Visiting Israeli troops near the so-called Yellow Line on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel currently controls about 60 per cent of Gaza and would maintain its positions.
“We control the area. We are not retreating. We are staying on this line,” he said.
Netanyahu insisted that Israeli operations would continue until Hamas is disarmed and Gaza demilitarised, despite renewed international efforts to advance a US-backed ceasefire plan that calls for further Israeli withdrawal.
“We are doing everything to reach our goal — disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza. Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” he said.
The Israeli military has continued operations in Gaza despite the ceasefire, saying it is targeting militants and threats linked to Hamas.
On Tuesday, Israel said its forces, alongside a Palestinian militia opposed to Hamas, captured the head of the group’s internal security apparatus during an operation in Gaza City. Palestinian health officials said four people were killed.
Netanyahu’s position comes as he faces elections in October and has resisted proposals to move to the next phase of the US-led peace plan. He has repeatedly insisted that Israel will not withdraw fully until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel was prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza, but was awaiting the United States’ decision on where they would be relocated.
“There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration,” Katz said, adding that Israel was prepared to facilitate the departure “by sea, by air, by every way possible.”
The proposal has drawn strong international and Palestinian condemnation. Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, announced alongside the October ceasefire, explicitly ruled out forced displacement.
The forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 1,334 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. The Israeli military says five of its personnel and one civilian contractor have also died during the same period.
