Israeli minister says Israel will resume intensive military operations in Gaza after resolving the hostage issue

Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, has said that Tel Aviv will return to intensive military operations in the Gaza Strip once the issue of hostages is concluded.

Cohen stated that Hamas would not willingly give up its weapons and that no international force would succeed in disarming it.

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 7, he stressed that Israel is preparing to resume the war, saying: “We are ready, and we now have a wider margin to act after the living hostages have reunited with their families.”

He added that Israel believes time is working in its favour in the ongoing conflict, claiming that Hamas “is living on borrowed time.”

Cohen said that Tel Aviv has already proven its ability to “achieve its goals,” whether in Lebanon, Syria, or against Hamas in Gaza.

He also pointed out that Israel holds significant leverage for future use, noting that the country now controls more than half of the Gaza Strip, in addition to the crossings, the Philadelphi Corridor, and humanitarian aid routes.

“We have left ourselves plenty of influence to achieve what we want,” Cohen concluded.