Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday revealed that Israel has seized the Hamas terror group's "attack portfolios" for towns in Judea, Samaria, and along the "seam line."
The "seam line" refers to towns which were on the Israeli border in 1948, but were no longer border towns after Israel conquered Jordanian-occupied Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem in 1967.
At a conference of regional councils, Katz said that Israel "had information that Hamas was planning to attack soldiers and communities - during the course of the ceasefire."
He stressed that the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Egypt-Gaza border, will remain a buffer zone "just like in Lebanon and Syria."
"I saw with my own eyes more than a few tunnels penetrating the Philadelphi, some of which were closed - and some of which were open," Katz added.
The YESHA Council responded: "The exposure of attack portfolios belonging to Hamas, which planned to infiltrate and attack towns in Judea, Samaria, and the seam line, is a serious warning signal. We are facing an enemy whose purpose is to repeat the October 7 [massacre] - and reality is proving that the threats are not theoretical, but tangible and dangerous."
"The October 7 terror attack must not repeat itself - not in seam line towns and the cities in central Israel, and not in Judea and Samaria. The way to prevent this is a clear defeat of terror - not just by working in a focused manner to thwart it, but through a comprehensive process of neutralizing the threat to the cities in central Israel and the towns in Judea and Samaria.
"We thank Defense Minister Katz for leading an offensive policy in Judea and Samaria. We support his important statements and emphasize: The settlements in Judea and Samaria are a protective wall for the State of Israel, but alongside defense, we must act against terror with a strong hand, and create solid Israeli control in all of Judea and Samaria. Applying sovereignty is the strategic step which will ensure true security for residents and for the entire State of Israel."
Earlier on Thursday, an Israeli source clarified that Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, despite reports that this was required as per the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The Philadelphi Corridor runs parallel to the Gaza-Egypt border and is key in preventing smuggling and keeping Hamas in check.
"We won't leave the Philadelphi Corridor," the source stressed. "We won't allow the Hamas murderers to return to wandering with trucks and rifles on our border, and we won't allow them to rebuild themselves through smuggling."