Axios: US offers Hamas safe passage to stabilise Gaza ceasefire

The U.S. has offered Hamas militants safe passage from areas in Gaza controlled by Israel to parts the group controls, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, who spoke to Axios.

The proposal, conveyed to Hamas on October 29 by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, aims to stabilise the ceasefire and clear the roughly half of Gaza under Israeli control of Hamas militants.

As of the night of October 31, no Hamas militants had crossed over, according to a senior Israel Defence Forces (IDF) officer.

Skirmishes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants hiding in tunnels within the Israeli zone triggered two major breakdowns in the ceasefire.

On October 28, Hamas militants emerged from a tunnel and fired at Israeli troops, killing one, according to the IDF. 

Israel declared this a violation of the ceasefire and launched massive airstrikes that killed more than 100 Palestinians, including women and children, before resuming the ceasefire. Hamas claimed it did not order the attack and had lost contact with the militants left behind in IDF-controlled areas.

President Trump publicly acknowledged the Hamas violation and backed the Israeli response, but White House officials privately viewed the Israeli reaction as disproportionate.

A senior IDF officer reported that dozens of Hamas militants remain hiding in tunnels on the Israeli side of the "yellow line," which separates the zones of control, particularly in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah. These are pockets that have not been cleared, and the IDF is conducting a thorough and systematic clearing of these areas. As Israeli forces tighten their hold and move closer, the militants emerge from tunnel shafts to attack, provoking an intensive response and leading to escalation.

The ceasefire is currently holding. On October 30, Hamas returned the bodies of two deceased hostages as part of their obligations under the deal, with 11 still to be returned.

The most recent clashes prompted U.S. officials to seek a solution to prevent further flare-ups. On Wednesday, the U.S. notified Hamas through Egypt and Qatar that the group had 24 hours to evacuate their militants from the area east of the yellow line. After the 24-hour window, which expired at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) on Thursday, Israel would be able to enforce the ceasefire and engage Hamas targets behind the yellow line, according to a U.S. official. Egypt and Qatar also gave a green light to this decision.

By Tamilla Hasanova