Hamas denounced Wednesday the continued entrapment of its fighters in the tunnels of Rafah by Israel as a “brutal crime” and a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, calling on regional mediators to pressure Israel for the fighters' safe return.
In statement issued via Telegram, Hamas called Israel’s actions in Rafah a breach of the ceasefire and proof of its persistent attempts to sabotage the agreement.
The group described the killings and arrests of its besieged fighters in the tunnels as a war crime, adding that it had been engaged in serious efforts with mediators, including the US, to safely resolve the fighters’ situation.
“Over the past month, we have worked extensively with political leadership and mediators to allow our fighters to return to their homes,” Hamas stated. “We proposed specific mechanisms and were in ongoing contact with international parties, including the US administration as a guarantor of the ceasefire. But the occupation chose the path of violence, undermining all efforts and ignoring the role of those working to end this crisis.”
Hamas said Israel bears full responsibility for the lives of its fighters and called on mediators to act swiftly to pressure Tel Aviv to allow their safe return. It praised the fighters as symbols of resistance and dignity, representing Palestinian courage and the nation’s right to freedom.
According to details published by Israel’s Channel 12 on Thursday, the occupation forces had offered to release captured Hamas fighters from prison after an unspecified period, permitting their return to Gaza, on the condition that they disarm and pledge to abstain from any “terrorist activity.”
The offer, relayed through mediators in recent days, was categorically rejected by Hamas. Channel 12 claims that it remains unclear to Israel whether the movement’s leadership was able to communicate with the fighters trapped in the tunnels under eastern Rafah, amid the Israeli-imposed communication blackouts.
“We gave the terrorists in Rafah an option to survive and be released. They have not agreed to our terms. It appears they have chosen martyrdom,” an unrevealed Israeli source told Channel 12.
Last Sunday, Hamas confirmed it had lost communication with its fighters trapped in tunnels within the so-called “Yellow Line”—a zone under direct Israeli military control.
On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces reportedly killed four fighters and detained two others who surfaced from a tunnel, in addition to five others killed earlier that week, according to the Israeli outlet.
Israel estimates that nearly 100 fighters remain trapped underground in Rafah. Its military continues operations to locate, demolish, or seal the tunnel network with concrete, part of their stated goal to crush and eliminate Hamas' armed resistance in Gaza.
Hamas officials had met recently with Egypt’s intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, in Cairo, discussing developments in the ceasefire and strategies to address the Rafah tunnel crisis. The group emphasized its refusal to surrender, asserting its decision to fight in Rafah was made after the failure of recent negotiations.
Israel has maintained a siege on Hamas fighters in Rafah’s tunnels, occasionally conducting raids to destroy parts of the underground network. The proposal for surrender was presented as a condition to halt targeted killings—a condition Hamas has rejected.
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States continue to push for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which includes Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction of the devastated enclave, and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians.
