The Hebrew newspaper Maariv revealed on Monday evening that the Israeli occupation army has begun pumping concrete and introducing explosive materials into a tunnel in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip — a tunnel said to contain dozens of Palestinian resistance fighters.
This development comes amid conflicting Israeli reports regarding Tel Aviv’s alleged approval for around 200 members of the Hamas resistance movement to leave areas under the control of Israeli forces within the Gaza Strip.
According to the private Hebrew daily Haaretz, an unnamed Israeli political source stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will not allow safe passage for 200 Hamas fighters located in areas controlled by the Israeli army to cross into Palestinian-controlled territories.”
Haaretz reported that these fighters “appear to be trapped in the zone held by Israeli forces in Gaza after the ceasefire agreement came into effect,” noting that mediators “proposed that Israel permit them to move to the area under Palestinian administration inside the Strip,” without identifying who those mediators were.
The same source added that Netanyahu’s decision to deny their passage came under pressure from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both known for their extremist and openly anti-Palestinian positions.
In contrast, Channel 12 reported that Israel is expected to allow 200 Hamas members to leave southern Gaza, stating:
“We have learned that Israel may soon approve their return to Palestinian territories, on the condition that they surrender their weapons.”
Meanwhile, Maariv reported that “the Nahal Brigade and combat engineering forces continue to deal with a strategic tunnel in the al-Jeneina neighbourhood of Rafah.”
The Israeli army estimates that the tunnel “contains approximately 150 fighters trapped on the Israeli side of the yellow line,” while Hamas and ceasefire mediators have been demanding their safe return to the area under the movement’s control, according to the same report.
The newspaper added that Israeli forces have been pumping large amounts of concrete into the tunnel’s openings and inserting explosive materials in an attempt to kill those trapped deep inside.
During recent operations involving the tunnel, Maariv reported that the Israeli army clashed with fighters emerging from it — resulting in the death of two officers. In another skirmish, one Israeli soldier was killed.
The paper also described a “public uproar” within Israeli society following reports that the government was considering allowing the fighters to leave the area known as the “yellow line,” which is under full Israeli military control.
Reacting to these reports, Smotrich wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“Mr. Prime Minister, this is absolute madness — stop this immediately.”
For his part, Ben Gvir issued a statement through his office demanding the killing or imprisonment of all those remaining beyond the yellow line, saying:
“This is an opportunity to eliminate or capture them — not to release them under absurd conditions.”
Neither Hamas nor Netanyahu’s office issued any official comments regarding these reports.
The Israeli occupation army, backed by the United States, committed a genocide in the Gaza Strip that lasted two years — beginning on October 8, 2023 — leaving more than 68,000 martyrs and over 170,000 wounded. The assault devastated nearly 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure, causing preliminary economic losses estimated at $70 billion.
The war concluded with a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Tel Aviv, which came into effect on October 10 of the previous year. However, the Israeli army violated the truce dozens of times, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Palestinians.
