Israeli forces haveโ killed โover 40 Hamas fighters in the past โฃweek during operations to dismantle tunnels in the Gaza Strip, theโ israeli armyโข announced Sunday. The ongoing 40-day campaignโ near Rafah aims to “destroy the remaining underground tunnel systems โin the area andโข eliminate the terrorists hiding there,” according to a military statement.
The army reported the destruction of numerousโ tunnel shafts and terrorist infrastructure, both above and below ground, in the area.โ Thisโ comes as Hamas publicly โacknowledged Wednesday โคthe continued presence of its fighters within tunnels in southern Gaza, areas currently under Israeliโข control.
Hamas has โฃappealed to the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey โto mediate and pressure Israelโค to allow safe passage forโ theโ remaining fighters. Israel โคhas consistentlyโ rejected such requests. Negotiations regarding the locationโข of โคthe Hamas fighters have reportedly begun,confirmed by both a Hamas representative and a representative from the mediating nationsโข to the AFP news agency on thursday.โข Rafahโ is located inโข the southern Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt.