Israeli forces have killed over 40 Hamas fighters in the past week during operations to dismantle tunnels in the Gaza Strip, the israeli army announced Sunday. The ongoing 40-day campaign near Rafah aims to “destroy the remaining underground tunnel systems in the area and eliminate the terrorists hiding there,” according to a military statement.
The army reported the destruction of numerous tunnel shafts and terrorist infrastructure, both above and below ground, in the area. This comes as Hamas publicly acknowledged Wednesday the continued presence of its fighters within tunnels in southern Gaza, areas currently under Israeli control.
Hamas has appealed to the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to mediate and pressure Israel to allow safe passage for the remaining fighters. Israel has consistently rejected such requests. Negotiations regarding the location of the Hamas fighters have reportedly begun,confirmed by both a Hamas representative and a representative from the mediating nations to the AFP news agency on thursday. Rafah is located in the southern Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt.
