Trump administration presses Israel to allow 200 Hamas fighters to leave Rafah

The Trump administration is urging Israel to permit around 200 Hamas fighters trapped in underground tunnels in Rafah to leave the area, according to Israeli media reports.

Washington’s position is that potential clashes between the militants and Israeli troops could trigger a wider confrontation and risk collapsing the current ceasefire.

Allowing the fighters to leave, US officials argue, could help reduce tensions and prevent escalation.

In Israel, the proposal has prompted debate within the defence establishment. Some security officials believe that once the fighters are out, Israeli forces will be able to enter, investigate and destroy the tunnel network.

Others, including senior Israel Defence Forces (IDF) commanders, maintain that the militants should either be eliminated while in the tunnels or released only as part of a hostage exchange.

Hamas has sent a message to Israel warning that if the fighters are not released, it will withhold the return of all the bodies of Israeli hostages who were killed.

Meanwhile, the IDF has deployed a division in the Khan Younis area and stepped up operations to locate and destroy remaining tunnels. Israeli officials say Hamas is seeking to delay the process of dismantling its military infrastructure.

On November 3, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Netanyahu to take decisive action, stating that all 200 militants located beyond the line should either be killed or imprisoned.

“This is an opportunity to eliminate or detain them – not to release them under absurd conditions,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev