Netanyahu Vows No Withdrawal from Gaza's Yellow Line After Israel Captures Hamas Internal Security Chief

September 2, 2026 — Visiting an IDF outpost near Gaza's 'Yellow Line' alongside Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared 'We control the area, and we remain on this line' and that Israel is 'not withdrawing,' rejecting the core premise of the Board of Peace's phased withdrawal roadmap. On disarmament, Netanyahu said 'We are doing everything to reach our goal — the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza,' claiming the objective has 'been achieved to a large extent' while acknowledging 'more work to complete,' and put Israeli control of the Strip at roughly 60%. The visit came a day after Shin Bet special forces, backed by IDF airstrikes, captured Muein al-Arabid — head of Hamas's internal security apparatus — in a raid in Gaza City, which Netanyahu called 'the first high-level capture operation deep in the Gaza Strip in a long time.' He said al-Arabid 'was responsible for hiding and moving our hostages, hiding senior Hamas officials, force build-up, and attempting to restore the capabilities of the terror organization,' and vowed Israel 'will continue to pursue all Hamas leaders' tied to October 7. The comments widen the gap between Israel's position and the Board of Peace's 15-point roadmap, which envisions a phased Israeli withdrawal tied to a transitional, UN-recognized administration.