Israel Katz vows IDF control over Gaza: "No Hamas rule"

"I came to visit Gaza to meet the commanders and fighters who are doing an amazing job, while showing bravery, resourcefulness and determination, seeing before their eyes the need to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and to ensure the security of the State of Israel.

Katz stated: "Security will remain in the hands of the IDF, which will be able to act in any way possible to remove threats, prevent tunneling, prevent terrorist infrastructures, prevent terrorist organizations and attempts to harm the State of Israel or IDF soldiers."

"We will make sure that what we saw in the field of penetrating tunnels", he continued, "what we saw in the field of threats, while we saw the heroic war that eliminated these capabilities, will not be repeated. We will ensure that security control will be in the hands of the IDF, which will be allowed to operate everywhere in order to prevent threats."

Katz went on to say: "We will ensure here in Gaza, as in Lebanon, as in Syria, and in the east, that there will be no more threats to Israeli communities, to the citizens of the State of Israel, and to IDF soldiers."

"In Gaza, too, we will make sure that there are security zones, buffer zones and control positions that will ensure the security of the communities, and with all this we will work to achieve the two goals of the war – to release all the hostages home and to defeat Hamas. There will be no ruling Hamas here and there will be no military Hamas here – a different reality will be created here thanks to the fighting that continues every day, even now. I met the soldiers as well as the reservists, all of them determined and saying: 'Keep going, let us continue until the end, ensure security and return the abductees' – and that's what we'll do."