Israeli attacks on trapped Rafah fighters grave truce violation: Hamas

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
Today 05:24

Hamas accuses “Israel” of violating the Gaza ceasefire by targeting fighters trapped in Rafah tunnels and calls on mediators to act urgently.

Listen

Hamas fighters take up positions ahead of the release of a captive as he is being handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP)

The Israeli pursuit, killing, and arrest of Resistance fighters trapped and besieged in the tunnels under Rafah constitutes a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement brokered in Gaza, the Resistance movement Hamas stated on Wednesday.

In a statement, Hamas reiterated that the Israeli crimes against the besieged fighters are "conclusive evidence" of the occupation's ongoing attempts to undermine and shatter the ceasefire deal reached in October 2025.

The movement stressed that it had made extensive efforts through various political leaders and mediators, including full engagement with the US administration as one of the guarantors of the agreement, to resolve the issue of the trapped fighters and ensure their safe return home. However, "Israel" undermined all these efforts.

Hamas added that it had submitted specific proposals and mechanisms to resolve the fighters’ situation, yet "Israel" chose the path of violence, killings, and detention, obstructing the mediators’ work aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Resistance's heroic fighters.

Hamas held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the fate of the fighters and called on mediators to take urgent action to pressure "Israel" to allow their safe return. Hamas' fighters are a "unique symbol of sacrifice, resilience, heroism, and a respresentation of the dignity and freedom of the Palestinian people," the statement concluded.

Ceaseless Israeli violations

The Israeli war machine has violated the ceasefire agreement in Gaza almost everyday since it was reached in October.

According to figures reported by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the number of victims since the ceasefire began on October 11, 2025 has risen to 347 martyrs and 889 wounded. Rescue teams have recovered 596 bodies out of an estimated 10,000 people missing under the rubble.

The overall toll from the Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023 has now reached 69,785 martyrs and 170,965 wounded.

The toll is further expected to rise as conditions inside displacement zones continue to deteriorate.