Alwaght- The state of 200 Palestinians trapped in Gaza tunnels is nearing a showdown. In this connection, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported, citing an Israeli cabinet official, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US special envoy Jared Kushner have reached an agreement that will pave the way for exit of these Hamas members from Rafah tunnels.
A senior official, without providing further details, stated that the agreement explicitly requires Israel to safely deport these fighters. Meanwhile, Hebrew-language sources reported that Kushner has called on Israeli authorities to allow individuals emerging from the tunnels to relocate to Hamas-controlled areas in Gaza. According to the Israeli assessments cited by these sources, the standoff over Palestinians trapped in the tunnels is expected to be resolved, as "Washington will not permit any action that would cause the ceasefire agreement to collapse."
Situation shrouded in mystery
However, some media have cited an Israeli official as saying that there is still no agreement on the people trapped in Rafah tunnels.
Israel’s Channel 12, citing a US source, reports that the crisis involving Hamas members trapped in tunnels beneath Rafah is being resolved, even if a final resolution takes several more days.
The fate of these Palestinian fighters, blockaded within the tunnels of the devastated city, has become a central issue. Their disposition is a key component of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and without a solution, the next stage of the truce cannot proceed.
200 Hamas members are positioned in tunnels along the "Yellow Line." This is the boundary to which Israeli occupation forces withdrew during the first phase of the truce, an area that encompasses nearly the entire city of Rafah. Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades have not publicly confirmed these figures. Israeli sources estimate the number at 150-200, but Hamas and Qassam Brigades have other figures.
In recent days, US fficials have explicitly stated their desire to resolve the standoff. They have asserted that following Hamas's handover of the body of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, the trapped members should be granted safe passage.
The Israeli cabinet spokesman said that any decision taken on the Hamas members will be coordinated with the Trump administration.
Israelis fail
It seems that the Israelis are trying to abuse the case to stir a crisis amid ceasefire and so prevent the deal to proceed to its second stage. But Trump is struggling to steer clear of any collapse of the agreement as he is the architect of the deal and its failure means his failure.
Therefore, the Israeli plot to damage the Gaza ceasefire has so far failed, as Netanyahu's efforts to destroy the truce have faced Trump as a major obstacle.
Reports from American and Israeli media indicate that several proposals have been put forward to resolve the crisis of the trapped Hamas members in the Rafah tunnels.
This development comes despite prior assertions from Israeli officials that the Hamas fighters in Rafah have no choice but to surrender or die in the tunnels. However, the Israeli regime has failed to achieve either of these objectives, as Palestinian resistance fighters have never surrendered to the Israeli army in any previous operation. Martyrdom has consistently been the final recourse for the Palestinian resistance when under siege. So, it is highly unlikely that the Hamas members will surrender to the occupation forces now.
American media reports also confirm that proposals have been made to grant the Hamas members safe passage. For its part, Hamas has declared that its members in the Rafah tunnels will not surrender and has called on mediators to find a solution to this crisis, which continues to threaten the fragile ceasefire.
Ismail Radhwan, a senior Hamas official, told Al Jazeera that this movement has informed the mediators that it is ready to get its members out of the region controlled by the occupiers and that it holds Israel responsible for any escalation.
Meanwhile, Qassam Brigades have warned Tel Aviv about any possible clashes with its members, asserting that "surrender or submission are not in our vocabulary."
