The United States is pressuring Israel to permit the safe passage of some 200 Hamas operatives currently hiding in tunnels beneath IDF-controlled areas of southern Gaza, Channel 12 reports.
According to the report, the move is being pushed by Washington as part of efforts to advance to the next stage of the emerging ceasefire framework based on Trump’s 20-point plan.
The report follows earlier claims that Israel was weighing such a proposal, under which Hamas gunmen could retreat to Gaza’s Hamas-run zone if they surrendered their weapons.
However, a statement earlier today attributed to an “Israeli official” — often a euphemism for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office — said the premier “is not allowing safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists.”
Israeli estimates suggest that roughly 200 Hamas fighters remain in tunnel systems beneath areas now controlled by the IDF, unable to surface without being detected by Israeli troops.
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