Khaberni - Informed sources confirmed to the French news agency in the negotiations on Thursday that discussions are ongoing to find a solution to the crisis of Hamas fighters trapped in the Rafah tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a first-of-its-kind public step, Hamas has called on intermediary states to pressure the occupation to allow their fighters to exit through a "safe corridor".
According to Hebrew media, between 100 to 200 Hamas elements are still trapped, while a prominent leader in Hamas told "France Press" that the number "ranges between 60 and 80," confirming that they are "under siege".
A leader in Hamas confirmed to "France Press" that "negotiations and contacts with the mediators (Egypt, Turkey, Qatar) and the Americans are continuing in an effort to resolve the crisis," and a Palestinian source confirmed that the matter was discussed this week.
Hamas announced on Wednesday that the occupation army's pursuit of its fighters is a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire agreement.
The movement has requested the mediators to pressure the occupation to allow them to exit through a safe corridor.
In this regard, a source in one of the intermediary countries told "France Press" that the United States and its partners are working to reach a settlement that grants Hamas fighters a "safe passage to areas not under Israeli control".
This aims to prevent this issue from becoming a "point of dispute that leads to more violations or to the collapse of the ceasefire".
However, the occupation has not publicly agreed to any settlement, with a spokesman previously stating that Netanyahu "does not allow a safe corridor for two hundred Hamas terrorists," and that he "is committed to his stance of dismantling Hamas's military capabilities."
The public move by Hamas to request a safe corridor, along with the continued US-Arab coordination, emphasizes the pressure that the issue of tunnel fighters places on the ceasefire agreement.
The fate of the truce remains contingent on the mediators' ability to convince the occupation of a non-military option to resolve this crisis.
