Netanyahu Says Israel Will Hold Gaza Positions Until Hamas Disarmed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Wednesday that Israel will not withdraw from its current positions in the Gaza Strip, stating that forces will remain along the strategic Yellow Line corridor until Hamas is fully disarmed and the territory is demilitarized. The visit and accompanying statements underscored Israel's firm stance amid ongoing tensions and a fragile ceasefire. Netanyahu made the remarks during a visit to an Israel Defense Forces outpost near the Yellow Line, a strategic east-west corridor that Israeli forces have maintained control over during the conflict. He was accompanied by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, and other senior officers. "We control the territory. We are not withdrawing. We are staying on this line," Netanyahu said in a video message from the outpost, pointing out that Israeli border towns including Ashkelon, Sderot, and Netivot were visible in every direction. The Prime Minister stated that Israel currently controls 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and indicated that further military operations would continue.