Several hundred Hamas fighters are believed to be in tunnels under Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, writes The Times of Israel.
The area is under Israeli control and the men are therefore trapped in the tunnels, with no way to get out without confrontations with the Israeli army.
But they will not give up, Hamas' armed wing claimed in a statement on Sunday.
“The vocabulary of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades does not include the principle of surrender or surrendering to the enemy,” they state, urging the conflict’s mediators to “find a solution that ensures the continuation of the ceasefire.”
The United States has in recent weeks pressured Israel to let the Hamas men in Rafah leave the tunnels unharmed, according to sources to The Times of Israel. However, Israel has reportedly expressed reluctance.
According to the newspaper, the White House sees the situation in Rafah as a “pilot project” for a future broader amnesty for Palestinian fighters. The US plan for peace in Gaza states that Hamas should lay down all weapons and “commit to peaceful coexistence” with Israel. Once this is done, Hamas members who want to leave the Gaza Strip will be given free passage to recipient countries.
