This comes amid conflicting Israeli reports regarding Tel Aviv allowing approximately 200 Hamas members to leave areas under the control of the occupation army in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted an unnamed Israeli political source as saying that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not allow the safe passage of 200 Hamas members located in areas under army control to Palestinian-controlled territory."
Haaretz reported that Hamas members were "apparently stuck in the area under Israeli military control in Gaza after the ceasefire came into effect," noting that mediators "suggested that Israel allow them to move to the area under Palestinian control in the Strip," without identifying the mediators.
The newspaper quoted the same source as saying that Netanyahu's decision not to allow Hamas members to pass through came after pressure exerted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
In contrast, Channel 12 reported that "Israel is expected to allow 200 Hamas members to leave the southern Gaza Strip," adding: "We have learned that Israel is expected to agree soon to their return to the Palestinian territories, on the condition that they surrender their weapons."
But the Hebrew newspaper Maariv said: "The Nahal Brigade and combat engineering fighters continue to deal with a strategic tunnel in the Al-Junayna neighborhood of Rafah."
The Israeli army estimates that the tunnel "contains about 150 militants trapped on the Israeli side of the yellow line," while Hamas and mediators of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip are demanding their return to the side controlled by the movement, according to the same source.
The newspaper reported that the Israeli occupation army is putting pressure on Hamas members and pumping huge quantities of concrete into the tunnel openings, and inserting explosive materials to kill them deep inside the tunnel.
The newspaper noted that during recent dealings with the tunnel, the army was forced to engage in combat with militants who emerged from it, resulting in the death of two officers, and in another battle, a soldier was killed.
Maariv spoke of a "popular storm" that erupted following news that the government intended to allow the fighters to leave the Yellow Line area under army control.
In response to this news, Smotrich posted on the X platform: "Mr. Prime Minister (Netanyahu), this is absolute madness, stop this."
Ben-Gvir, in a statement issued by his office, called for the killing or imprisonment of all those behind the yellow line, saying: "This is an opportunity to eliminate or arrest them, not to release them in ridiculous circumstances."
As of 18:50 GMT, neither Hamas nor Netanyahu's office had commented on the news.
It should be noted that the occupation army, with American support, committed a genocide in the Gaza Strip that lasted for two years, starting from October 8, 2023, leaving more than 68,000 martyrs and more than 170,000 wounded, and causing destruction that affected 90 percent of the infrastructure in the Strip, with initial losses estimated at about $70 billion.
The war ended with a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which came into effect on October 10th, but was violated by Israel dozens of times, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian martyrs and wounded.
