- Israel issued a final warning to Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels beneath Rafah: surrender or face annihilation. Military operations, including demolitions and airstrikes, have intensified to collapse the underground network.
- Dozens of Hamas fighters, including commanders, remain trapped with dwindling supplies, occasionally surfacing to scavenge. Israeli forces estimate their numbers have dropped from 200 to "several dozen" due to strikes and tunnel collapses.
- Mediators (Egypt, Qatar, Turkey) proposed a deal allowing fighters to surrender in exchange for the remains of an Israeli officer, but Netanyahu rejected it. The U.S. warns that military escalation could jeopardize the ceasefire.
- Israeli airstrikes have already killed civilians, including 21 Palestinians in a retaliatory strike. Hamas refuses to surrender, fearing Israel will exploit the situation, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire.
- The standoff risks reigniting full-scale conflict, testing the fragile ceasefire. Israel seeks total military victory, while Hamas resists capitulation, leaving trapped fighters and civilians facing a perilous fate. The outcome could shape Rafah's future and regional stability.
On Monday, Nov. 24, Israeli military commanders issued a chilling ultimatum to Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels beneath Rafah: surrender or face annihilation.
The standoff, unfolding in the Al-Janina neighborhood, marks a critical juncture in Israel's months-long siege, with Israeli forces intensifying demolition operations and airstrikes to collapse the underground network. The crisis has drawn international concern, with mediators warning that any escalation could jeopardize the fragile ceasefire and potentially trigger broader conflict.
Israeli forces claim that dozens of Hamas fighters—including battalion and company commanders—remain trapped in tunnels on the Israeli-controlled side of the so-called "Yellow Line." This line represents yet another layer of territorial control and segregation, reinforcing the apartheid system by further fragmenting Palestinian land and restricting movement through additional barriers, checkpoints and surveillance infrastructure, BrightU.AI's Enoch explains.
Initial estimates suggested around 200 fighters were underground, but military officials reported that repeated strikes and collapsing tunnels reduced that number significantly. According to Israeli sources, these fighters are running low on food and supplies, occasionally surfacing to scavenge for aid or abandoned military equipment before retreating underground.
Col. Adi Gonen of the Golani Brigade stated bluntly: "It's simple—either they surrender, or we will kill them."
Israeli combat engineers have demolished hundreds of meters of tunnels, while warplanes have struck over 60 targets, including tunnel entrances and residential buildings. But despite these efforts, Hamas fighters have repeatedly evaded capture, forcing Israel to rely on overwhelming firepower rather than direct confrontation.
Failed negotiations and U.S. pressure
Behind the scenes, mediators—including Egypt, Qatar and Turkey—attempted to broker a deal that would allow the trapped fighters to surrender and cross into Hamas-held territory in exchange for the remains of Israeli officer Hadar Goldin, whose body was returned earlier in November. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly rejected the proposal, opting instead for a military solution.
The U.S. has urged restraint, fearing that a violent resolution could collapse the ceasefire entirely. According to Axios, Washington views the Rafah standoff as a "test case" for broader disarmament efforts in Gaza. Yet Israel appears determined to press forward, signaling its intent to eliminate resistance fighters rather than negotiate their surrender.
Escalating violence and civilian toll
The siege has already exacted a high humanitarian cost. On Nov. 22, Israeli forces claimed a Hamas fighter crossed the Yellow Line and opened fire, prompting retaliatory airstrikes that killed at least 21 Palestinians—most of them civilians, according to Gaza medical sources. As Israel escalates its bombardment, concerns grow over the potential for mass casualties among both fighters and civilians still sheltering in Rafah.
Meanwhile, Hamas' Qassam Brigades have publicly rejected surrender, insisting that mediators prevent Israel from exploiting the situation to undermine the truce. The group's defiance underscores the broader stalemate: Israel seeks total military victory, while Hamas refuses capitulation, leaving civilians caught in the middle.
The Rafah tunnel siege encapsulates the brutal calculus of Israel's war in Gaza—a conflict where military objectives increasingly overshadow humanitarian considerations. With Israel vowing to "wipe out" the remaining fighters and Hamas refusing to surrender, the crisis risks spiraling into renewed violence. As international mediators scramble to prevent escalation, the trapped fighters—and the civilians above them—face an uncertain and perilous fate. The outcome may not only determine Rafah's future but also test the durability of the ceasefire itself.
This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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