Israel says it killed 4 Hamas militants emerging from tunnels in Rafah

On Friday, the Israeli army declared that more than 30 fighters who tried to escape the tunnels had been killed.

Sources told AFP on Thursday that negotiations were ongoing over the fate of fighters still remaining in the network of tunnels in southern Gaza.

On Wednesday, Hamas called on mediating countries to pressure Israel to allow safe passage. the first time the group has publicly acknowledged the situation.

Yellow line

The ceasefire brokered by the United States, with Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar as intermediaries, came into force on October 10. Under the agreement, the Israeli army retreated behind the so-called Yellow Line within the Gaza Strip, a boundary marked with yellow concrete blocks.

Hamas militants are in tunnels located on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line. A prominent Hamas member in Gaza told AFP the group estimates between 60 and 80 fighters remain there.