Israeli forces continued operations Wednesday in Rafah to destroy tunnels believed to be sheltering about 200 Hamas terrorists. In at least two separate incidents, soldiers encountered terrorists nearby and opened fire.
In the first incident, troops spotted four terrorists close to their position and immediately engaged them. No Israeli casualties were reported. Shortly afterward, Golani Brigade troops identified four armed terrorists and after a rapid maneuver, killed three of them in coordination with the Israeli Air Force.
Elsewhere, the IDF said it killed another terrorist who “crossed the Yellow Line and approached Israeli forces operating in Khan Younis in a way that posed an immediate threat.” The army reported that about 10 terrorists were killed across Gaza during the day.
“The IDF Southern Command is deployed across the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to act to remove any immediate threat,” the military said.
A senior member of Israel’s Security Cabinet said Tuesday that a compromise had been reached between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, the envoy and son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, regarding the fate of roughly 200 terrorists “trapped” in the Rafah tunnels. According to the official, the deal would allow their exile without harm, but no country, including Turkey or Qatar, has agreed to accept them.
The official added that, under Trump’s original plan, Hamas terrorists could receive amnesty only if they surrendered their weapons, renounced terrorism, and after all hostages and the remains of fallen soldiers were returned. The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment.
The 200 terrorists are effectively trapped in the Israeli-controlled enclave of the Jenina neighborhood in Rafah. Hamas has demanded that they be released to the Palestinian side of the yellow line. They are part of a broader group of hundreds, possibly thousands, of civilians and terrorists stranded between the Israeli border and the Phase A withdrawal line of the ceasefire agreement.
The IDF is using the current window of opportunity to destroy tunnels in this area, though such operations frequently lead to deadly encounters. Similar concentrations of Hamas terrorists are believed to remain in the Bani Suhaila enclave near Khan Younis and in other pockets under Israeli control.
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has recommended eliminating all remaining terrorists and continuing to locate tunnels in both areas. However, in Rafah, Hamas reportedly offered to locate and return additional bodies of fallen Israeli soldiers in exchange for allowing the 200 trapped terrorists to cross safely to the Gaza side. Netanyahu initially considered the proposal but withdrew amid criticism and threats from within his coalition.
Zamir told the Security Cabinet last Thursday that there was no “chief of staff deal” involving the 200 terrorists, two days after saying he would consider their release only in exchange for the body of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who has since been returned to Israel and laid to rest.
“It’s either surrender or elimination,” Zamir said. “If they surrender, we’ll take them in their underwear to Sde Teiman for questioning.”
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Chief of Staff Zamir: “It’s either surrender or we eliminate them.”
(Photo: Abir Sultan/Pool via AP)
It remains unclear whether Israel offered Hamas any concession in exchange for Goldin’s return. Ynet has learned that Washington is pressing Israel to allow “safe passage” for the 200 terrorists. One possible solution under discussion would see the terrorists surrender and disarm in exchange for amnesty or exile, while the tunnels they occupied would be destroyed.
An Israeli official said, “Given the U.S. pressure, it’s hard to believe we’ll eliminate them. The expectation is that this will be resolved through some kind of agreement.”
In Washington, officials believe that after Goldin’s return, ending 4,118 days in Hamas captivity, Netanyahu may now have more political and public leeway to consider the move. However, sources close to the prime minister clarified that “he has made no commitment to the Americans to release the Rafah terrorists.”