JERUSALEM, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that a senior Hamas official had been detained in Gaza and vowed that Israeli forces would remain in the enclave even after Hamas was disarmed and its tunnels destroyed.
"Our activity in Gaza City continues at this time," Katz said in a video statement, without identifying the detained official or giving details of the operation.
His remarks came after Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported that an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia had entered Gaza City with Israeli air support in an attempt to seize a senior Hamas commander.
Katz said Israel would not withdraw from Gaza until the enclave was demilitarized, Hamas was disarmed, and its tunnels were destroyed. "Even after that, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will remain in Gaza along defensive lines," he said.
He also repeated a threat to "respond forcefully" to kites, balloons or drones launched from Gaza, saying Israel would strike neighborhoods from which they were launched and target those responsible.
Katz said nearly 70 percent of the Gaza Strip is destroyed, without residents, without tunnels and without houses, and the IDF controls the area.
Also on Tuesday, Palestinian sources said that three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes west of Gaza City.
Gaza's health authorities said 1,326 Palestinians had been killed and 4,398 wounded since a ceasefire was announced in October 2025. ■
