Any delay could allow Hamas to regroup or escape, undermining months of military gains.
By Hezy Laing
Israeli officials and commentators are intensifying calls to eliminate approximately 200 Hamas terrorists reportedly trapped in tunnels beneath IDF-controlled areas of Rafah, Gaza, amid growing skepticism over Hamas claims that hostages are being held in the same tunnels.
In early November 2025, it was reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had succumbed to American pressure to let the terrorists go free.
But later this week Netanyahu’s office denied reports that Israel was considering granting safe passage to the trapped fighters.
The IDF estimates that these Hamas operatives are unable to retreat without surfacing and exposing themselves to Israeli forces.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly condemned any notion of leniency, stating, “These terrorists deserve death,” and warned that allowing them to escape would be “security and moral stupidity”.
Meanwhile, Hamas has demanded temporary immunity for its tunnel-based fighters to relocate within Gaza’s “Yellow Line,” a demarcated zone under ceasefire terms.
Israeli officials view this as a tactical ploy to regroup and rearm.
Complicating the situation is a widely circulated false claim that Israeli hostage bodies are being held in the same tunnel network.
Intelligence sources and military analysts have cast doubt on this narrative, suggesting it may be a psychological tactic by Hamas to deter Israeli strikes and gain international sympathy.
The IDF has not confirmed the presence of hostages in the Rafah tunnels, and recent operations have focused on dismantling the underground infrastructure regardless of such claims.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the destruction of all Hamas tunnels behind the IDF’s withdrawal line, calling it Israel’s “central mission” alongside soldier protection and coordination with U.S. officials.
The urgency reflects fears that any delay could allow Hamas to regroup or escape, undermining months of military gains.
