At least 200 Hamas fighters are trapped in their own traps, buried underground in tunnels the movement has built throughout the Strip.
Last week, Israeli and Arab officials estimated that this existed Between 200 and 300 men … Trapped in the depths. Some may have already died of starvation, according to these same officials, cited by the Wall Street Journal, due to lack of food and water.
Where are these terrorists? According to published information, most of them are located under the city of Rafah, but some are also located in areas of the central and northern Gaza Strip, where Israel controls, including the neighborhoods of East Khan Yunis, Beit Hanoun and Shujaiya (a neighborhood located in the center of Gaza City), as explained by Israeli and Arab officials, quoted by several North American media outlets.
“These terrorists are in an area controlled by Israel, and this area, Rafah, is where the most sophisticated tunnels are located,” he explains. Amir Avivi, Retired IDF general and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF).
The secret war that has been waiting for Israel after the ceasefire took effect has begun, and it could derail the temporary peace that was signed just a month ago.
Avivi, who spent a long time in Gaza during his service in the army and knows the underground sector in detail, confirms that the tunnels in this area are not small corridors, “but rather they are authentic underground buildings. Inside the tunnels there is also a lot of ammunition and from there they used to attack the Israeli forces.”
These fighters are stationed behind the so-called Yellow Line, to which Israeli forces withdrew as part of the ceasefire agreement negotiated by US President Donald Trump last month. Hamas fighters are not buried under the rubble, but rather are surrounded by the Israeli army’s control of that area.
The tunnels are under Israeli control
It all started last month, when a detachment of Israeli engineering forces was demolishing tunnels behind the Gaza withdrawal line. In the midst of the demolition work, Hamas fighters emerged from a hidden opening, fired an anti-tank missile and killed three Israeli soldiers. This became the first test of the fragility of the truce because it revealed a problem for both sides: hundreds of armed Hamas fighters, trapped in tunnels under the Israeli-controlled side of Gaza, ready to fire on the Israeli army.
To arrive at this situation, we have to go back to May, when Israeli efforts began to expel militants and destroy Hamas’ vast network of tunnels, where the group hid fighters, hostages and weapons throughout the conflict. The strategy was to isolate sections of this Underground network. However, the partial Israeli withdrawal under the ceasefire left militants behind enemy lines trapped underground, with no escape, with dwindling supplies.
The Hebrew state is clear about its strategy towards these terrorists: either surrender or eliminate them. He added: “Israel’s policy in Gaza is clear: the Israeli army is working to destroy the tunnels and eliminate terrorists from them agitation “Without any restrictions within the yellow zone under our control,” Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said in a post on X this week.
“Israel will not help eliminate these terrorists. Amir Avivi says: “Israel should arrest them and then destroy the tunnels.”
Regarding these men, Hamas claimed that it lost the ability to communicate in March. For this reason, they justify that they did not order attacks against Israeli forces.
For their part, Israeli military officials claim that Hamas was able to communicate with the trapped fighters at all times, because the tunnels are equipped with communications systems. While officials say they do not believe Hamas did not order the attacks on the forces, they say the movement had the option of ordering them to withdraw when Israeli forces approached their positions.
USA comes into play
The United States has entered the game, putting pressure on Israel this week to grant safe passage to Hamas fighters trapped underground. Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Thursday that he discussed the matter with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Witkopf said the result could be a test for future efforts to disarm Hamas.
What will happen to these militants has become a crucial question after the clashes between the group and Israeli forces.
Israel accuses Hamas of not adhering to this agreement by not handing over the bodies of all the hostages or beginning to disarm them.
For its part, Israel does not appear to be committed to this agreement either. An analysis conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revealed that the Israeli army exercises control over a larger area of Gaza than expected in the ceasefire agreement.
In the first phase of the agreement, Israel agreed to withdraw to the border extending from northern Gaza to its south and east. This division was marked with a yellow line on maps published by the Israeli army and was given the name “Yellow Line”. However, the Israeli army does not adhere to what was signed, and this line has been drawn up on the ground in the greater Gaza area.
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