Egyptian mediators have put forward a proposal concerning an estimated 100 to 200 Hamas fighters believed to be trapped in tunnel systems beneath the Israeli-held area of Rafah in Gaza. The proposal aims to resolve an issue seen as a major risk to the month-old US-brokered truce. The core of the plan suggests that in exchange for safe passage, the trapped fighters would surrender their weapons to Egyptian authorities and provide details of the tunnels’ locations so that the infrastructure can be subsequently destroyed.
The resolution of this issue is considered crucial for safeguarding the ceasefire, which forms the initial phase of President Donald Trump’s broader plan to end the Gaza war. Attacks in the Rafah area, where the fighters are located, have already caused some of the worst violence since the truce took hold, leading to fatalities on both sides. Sources familiar with the talks suggested that the trapped fighters may be unaware that a ceasefire is even in place, making their extraction necessary to maintain stability.
While the Egyptian proposal has been conveyed to both Israel and Hamas, neither side has formally accepted the terms, and negotiations are ongoing. Israel has publicly resisted the idea of granting unconditional safe passage, with some security officials advocating for the fighters to be eliminated or taken into custody for interrogation. US special envoy Steven Witkoff views the situation as a “test case” for the larger demilitarization model envisioned for Gaza, underscoring Egypt’s central strategic position in managing the security fallout of the conflict.
