As a U.S.-mediated ceasefire continues, tensions remain high in Gaza with Hamas now publicly acknowledging the presence of its fighters within the extensive tunnel network beneath Rafah. The militant group is appealing to international mediators for safe passage for its members,as Israeli forces maintain control of the area and continue operations targeting those attempting to flee underground. this represents a new progress in the conflict, raising questions about the future of the ceasefire and the fate of Hamas militants potentially trapped below the surface.
Hamas is calling on international mediators to pressure Israel to allow safe passage for dozens of its members who are sheltering in underground tunnels in southern Gaza, now under Israeli military control. The plea comes as the conflict continues to escalate and concerns grow for the fate of those trapped beneath the surface.
The request, as reported by AFP on Friday, November 28, 2025, follows Israeli military statements that its forces have killed more than 20 Hamas members in the past week. Israel claims these individuals were “attempting to flee underground infrastructure in the area.”
The Israeli military also reported capturing eight additional Hamas members in the same region.
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“We hold (Israel) fully responsible for the lives of our fighters and call on our mediators to act urgently to pressure (Israel) to allow our sons to return home,” Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday, November 26.
This marks the first time Hamas has publicly acknowledged that its fighters are trapped within Gaza’s tunnel network since the current ceasefire took effect.
Israeli media reports suggest that between 100 and 200 Hamas militants may be sheltering in the extensive tunnel system beneath Rafah, a city in southern Gaza now controlled by the Israeli military.
Under the terms of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which began on October 10, Israeli forces were required to withdraw from areas along the coast of the Palestinian territory, up to a line demarcating areas under Tel Aviv’s control.
Earlier this month, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff alluded to the presence of “200 fighters trapped in Rafah” during a speech at a business conference in Miami. Witkoff suggested that their surrender, including the handover of weapons, could serve as a “test” for both sides in the ceasefire agreement, Israel and Hamas.
However, Israel appears unwilling to offer safe passage to the Hamas fighters from the tunnels.
An Israeli government spokesperson told AFP earlier this month that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is not allowing a safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists.”
The spokesperson further emphasized that Netanyahu “remains steadfast in his position to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.”
In its Wednesday, November 26 statement, Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement through “pursuit, liquidation, and the arrest of resistance fighters besieged in the Rafah tunnels.”
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(nvc/ita)
