The military is “systematically eliminating” two Hamas pockets in areas of Gaza under IDF control—in Rafah and Khan Yunis—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu emphasized freedom of action to protect IDF troops positioned in the Strip, saying that “if there is an attempt to harm our forces, we strike those who inflict the harm and also their organization, for the purpose of protecting our forces.”
He clarified that Jerusalem does not seek permission to act from the United States, maintaining “supreme security responsibility” that will not be relinquished.
Shortly after the prime minster spoke, the IDF said that the Air Force struck a terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line into Israeli-controlled territory in northern Gaza in violation of the ceasefire, posing an immediate threat by advancing toward troops.
❌CEASEFIRE VIOLATION: A terrorist crossed the yellow line and advanced toward IDF troops in the northern Gaza, posing an immediate threat to IDF troops.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 2, 2025
Following the identification, and in order to remove the threat to the troops, the IAF struck the terrorist.
IDF soldiers…
Netanyahu also emphasized that the government is committed to returning the 11 remaining deceased hostages from Gaza, decrying Hamas’s handing over the remains of individuals having nothing to do with the captives.
“Their attempts are pathetic, trying to mislead us, the U.S. and the world; they will, of course, not succeed, and we will gradually bring back all of our hostages. We are committed to this,” the premier said.
Netanyahu stressed that Jerusalem hasn’t altered its war goals.
“Disarming Hamas, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip is the principle we uphold. This is the principle agreed upon between me and President Trump. This is how we operate, according to a clear plan. Of course, if this is not done in the first way [through the 20-point peace place], then it will be done in the second way [by the IDF], and everyone knows what the second way is and who will also carry it out,” Netanyahu said.
He touched on efforts to quash efforts by other elements of the Iranian axis to recover from devastating blows administered by the Israeli military over the two-year war.
Discussing attempts by Iran’s Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah to reestablish its power, Netanyahu said that “we will not allow Lebanon to become a renewed front against us and will act as necessary.”
He called the Houthis in Yemen a “very great threat” that is “fanatical, in the most extreme way imaginable” and stressed that Israel would do everything possible to eliminate this threat.
“We are still operating against an axis that, even though it is broken and beaten, is trying to renew its plans for the destruction of Israel. We will, to say the least, deny it the capabilities to do so,” Netanyahu said.
He called for an independent investigation into a leaked video of alleged abuses at the IDF’s Sde Teiman detention camp.
“The incident in Sde Teiman caused immense damage to the image of the State of Israel and the IDF, to our soldiers. This is perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment. I do not recall one so focused with such intensity. This demands an independent, impartial investigation, and I expect such an investigation to be carried out,” the prime minister said.
