Displaced palestinians stand on a road after heavy rain in Jabalia city, northern Gaza Strip. AFP
The army said that during operations in eastern Rafah, soldiers located nine additional militants who had been eliminated in the underground infrastructure. It added that more than 30 fighters attempting to escape the tunnels in eastern Rafah have been killed so far.
Multiple sources told AFP on Thursday that negotiations were underway regarding the fate of dozens of Hamas fighters holed up in southern Gaza's tunnels.
On Wednesday, Hamas called on mediating countries to pressure Israel to allow safe passage -- the first time the group had publicly acknowledged the situation.
The US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with Egypt, Turkey and Qatar as mediators, entered into force on October 10.
Under its terms, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw behind the so-called Yellow Line within the Gaza Strip, a boundary marked on the surface with yellow concrete blocks. However, the occupation forces have repeatedly infringed on that line killing dozens of civilians.
The Hamas fighters are in tunnels located on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line.
A source from one of the mediating countries confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the United States, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar have been discussing "with the aim of reaching a compromise that would allow Hamas fighters to leave the tunnels behind the Yellow Line near Rafah".
"The current proposal would grant them safe passage to areas not under Israeli control, helping to ensure this does not become a friction point that leads to further violations or the collapse of the ceasefire," the source added.
A prominent Hamas member in Gaza told AFP that the group estimated their number to be between 60 and 80.
On this subject, an Israeli government spokesperson told AFP earlier this month that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is not allowing safe passage".
The ceasefire remains fragile, with Israel continuing to violate the terms through nearly daily strikes and gunfire in Gaza, killing more than 350 Palestinians since the ceasefire came into effect, while the Strip remains in a deep humanitarian crisis.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 69,799 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, according to figures from the territory's health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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