Negotiations involving the U.S., Qatar, Egypt and Turkey are underway to secure safe passage for dozens of Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels behind the Yellow Line in Rafah, though Israel maintains it will not allow their release.
Negotiations are ongoing to secure safe passage for dozens of Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels behind the Yellow Line in southern Gaza, sources told AFP, with estimates ranging from 60 to 200 militants still holed up under Rafah. Under a US-brokered ceasefire in effect since October 10, Israeli forces withdrew to positions behind the Yellow Line, leaving the fighters “under siege” but unwilling to surrender.
Mediators from Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and the United States are seeking “a compromise that would allow Hamas fighters to leave the tunnels behind the Yellow Line near Rafah,” according to a diplomatic source, who said the proposal aims to prevent further violations of the ceasefire.
Hamas publicly acknowledged the situation for the first time on Wednesday, urging mediators to pressure Israel to allow their fighters to “return home.” But Israel appears unmoved, with a government spokesperson saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is not allowing safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists” and insists on dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities.