To dismantle Hamas's structure: Israel explores applying the 'Ali al-Taher' model in Gaza's heart

Israeli military leadership is exploring the application of the operational model implemented against Hezbollah in the Ali al-Taher heights in southern Lebanon, now targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports.

The Hebrew site Walla noted that Israeli defense officials believe that unless Hamas relinquishes its weapons and hands over governance to an alternative force, the Israeli army will be compelled to apply the 'Ali al-Taher' model directly in the heart of Gaza City.

The site explained that given the success of the operation—completed within a single month—senior defense officials recommend applying the 'Ali al-Taher' model to Gaza City as well, involving a maneuver to destroy the terrorist infrastructure followed by a withdrawal to the 'yellow line'.

The report stated that since the ceasefire began, Hamas has continued recruiting new members in the Gaza Strip and training them in weapon use, surveillance operations, tunnel digging, arms manufacturing, and intelligence gathering.

At the same time, Hamas forces continue challenging the Israeli military along the 'yellow line' and in maritime zones, while planning attacks targeting Israeli soldiers—raising serious concerns within the security establishment, especially after nearly three years of combat.

The report highlighted that with Israel reaching a deadlock with the Peace Council and U.S. representatives regarding disarmament in Gaza, it has become clear that the Israeli military is preparing a ground maneuver inside the strip aimed at seizing control of central Gaza, where Hamas leadership, senior military wing commanders, and field operatives are entrenched.

The Peace Council plan involves selecting thousands of members from Fatah in Gaza for training in Egypt, with the goal of transforming them into a police force to assume responsibility from Hamas-affiliated security agencies. However, Israeli security officials and political leadership oppose this move, leading to the initiative stalling.

According to sources in the security establishment, there was significant concern about executing the underground infrastructure destruction plan in the Ali al-Taher heights due to opposition from the Lebanese government, as well as pressure and threats from Iran, Hezbollah, and other countries.

The report noted that despite this, political leadership’s determination—backed by recommendations from top Israeli military officials—ultimately led to the destruction of a strategic infrastructure built over 20 years by both Iran and Hezbollah.