IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Tuesday evening he would consider allowing the release of about 200 Hamas terrorists trapped in Rafah, only in exchange for the remains of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin, who has been held in Gaza since 2014.
The terrorists are reportedly stuck in an underground zone beyond the “yellow line,” an area under Israeli control, since the ceasefire went into effect. “No live terrorist will be released without the fallen soldier,” Zamir warned if Hamas refuses the proposed deal.
Two political sources confirmed to Ynet that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had considered allowing the terrorists to cross back, but a senior official later said that “this will not happen.” Netanyahu reportedly weighed the move in hopes of retrieving the remains of fallen soldiers and reinforcing Israel’s hold west of the line, though no final decision was made, according to three senior officials.
The revelation that Netanyahu considered such a deal drew anger from cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as the family of Staff Sgt. Efi Feldbaum, who was killed last week in Rafah. “This is utter madness, Mr. Prime Minister. Stop it,” Smotrich wrote.
Following the backlash, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement denying he had ever considered the move: “The prime minister did not consider allowing the terrorists to cross; he stands by the framework as written.” The office also denied any “deal” with Hamas involving the release of prisoners in exchange for locating the remains of additional fallen soldiers.
The roughly 200 terrorists trapped in Rafah’s Jenina neighborhood are among hundreds, possibly thousands, of Palestinians caught between the Israeli border and the first-stage withdrawal line established under the ceasefire agreement. The IDF has been using the area to destroy Hamas tunnels, though such operations have led to deadly encounters.
Recently, Israel allowed Hamas, under International Red Cross supervision, to search the Israeli side of the line. On Sunday, Hamas returned the bodies of three hostages: Col. Assaf Hamami, Capt. Omer Naotra, and Sgt. Oz Daniel. They were retrieved from eastern Khan Younis, near where they were killed and abducted during the October 7 attacks.
The Rafah Enclave and Security Assessment
In Rafah’s “Bani Suhaila” enclave, along with other pockets under Israeli control, dozens of Hamas operatives remain. Zamir reportedly recommended that the government eliminate all terrorists in these areas and continue searching for tunnels.
However, a potential opening emerged: Hamas offered to locate and return the remains of additional Israeli soldiers in exchange for safe passage for its 200 fighters trapped in Rafah. Netanyahu was said to have briefly considered the proposal but withdrew after internal criticism and coalition threats.
Israeli security officials believe Hamas may only know the whereabouts of three or four of the eight soldiers still missing in Gaza. “If the group declares it has no further information, a special security and political assessment will be convened,” said one senior defense official. “We’ll then know whether Hamas is lying or truly unaware of the others’ locations.”
Earlier Tuesday, the IDF and Shin Bet announced that a coffin containing the remains of another fallen hostage had been transferred to Israeli forces via the Red Cross at a crossing in northern Gaza. The remains were taken to Israel’s National Forensic Center for identification.
Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of Staff Sergeant Itay Chen that he had been returned for burial.
Meanwhile, Hamas claimed it found another body in Gaza City’s Shuja’iyya neighborhood during searches coordinated with Red Cross teams. The group said that “engineering equipment and the Red Cross’ presence have helped accelerate the recovery of remains.”
Families of several of the eight fallen soldiers still held in Gaza met Monday with hostage affairs envoy Gal Hirsch. “We told him that we demand Prime Minister Netanyahu meet us face-to-face,” said Ayelet Goldin, sister of Hadar Goldin. “For three weeks, we’ve been pleading for a meeting. We want to look him in the eye and make sure he understands it is Israel’s duty to bring back all the captives and the fallen.”