Israel Targets 100-200 Hamas Fighters Trapped in Rafah Tunnels, Violating Ceasefire

Israel Targets 100-200 Hamas Fighters Trapped in Rafah Tunnels, Violating Ceasefire

27 November, 202519 sources compared
War on Gaza

Key Points from 19 News Sources

  1. 1

    Amnesty International says Israel continues committing genocide in Gaza despite the ceasefire.

  2. 2

    Between 100 and 200 Hamas fighters are trapped in Rafah's tunnel network.

  3. 3

    Israel has violated the ceasefire by pursuing and eliminating Hamas fighters in Rafah tunnels.

Full Analysis Summary

Rafah tunnel standoff

Israeli forces are actively targeting an estimated 100–200 Hamas fighters holed up in underground tunnels beneath Rafah following the US-brokered ceasefire.

International mediators are debating safe passage for those fighters amid the ceasefire arrangements.

Negotiators from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have reportedly discussed a compromise to allow fighters to leave tunnels located behind the ceasefire's "Yellow Line."

Israel has resisted any safe‑passage deal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly refused to allow such movements.

A government spokesperson described the individuals as "200 Hamas terrorists."

Israeli units say they have repeatedly killed or captured fighters when they try to emerge, collapsing tunnels and striking associated sites.

Israeli officials insist these actions are aimed at dismantling Hamas's military capabilities.

Coverage Differences

Contradiction/Tone

Coverage diverges sharply on whether Israel’s actions are a necessary enforcement of the ceasefire’s terms or a violation. Insider Paper (Western Alternative) and The Media Line (Western Alternative) report negotiations for safe passage and stress Israel’s justification—dismantling underground military infrastructure—while West Asian outlets like Türkiye Today and Al‑Jazeera Net report Hamas accusing Israel of pursuing, killing and arresting fighters and urging mediators to force Israel to allow their return. Mathrubhumi (Asian) highlights Netanyahu’s explicit refusal to allow safe passage, showing the Israeli government’s hardline stance rather than a negotiated compromise.

Genocide allegations in Gaza

Human rights groups and some media outlets say the Israeli campaign still amounts to genocide and argue the ceasefire has not stopped deliberate actions aimed at Palestinians' destruction.

Amnesty International's secretary-general, Agnes Callamard, told Al Jazeera that Israeli authorities are 'still committing genocide' in Gaza and warned there is 'no evidence' Israel's intent has changed.

Amnesty's briefing states that Israeli authorities are continuing to commit genocide by maintaining life-threatening conditions.

Al Jazeera and TheNational.scot cite Amnesty's assessment along with detailed casualty figures and reported violations of the truce.

The Guardian reports that Israel's foreign ministry has denied findings of genocide and strongly rejected Amnesty's claims.

These sources thus highlight a clear split between human-rights legal allegations and Israel's formal denials.

Coverage Differences

Contradiction

Amnesty International and West Asian outlets present an unequivocal legal assessment and testimony alleging genocide and ongoing truce violations, while Western mainstream reporting represented by The Guardian records Israel’s denial of those findings. The difference reflects Amnesty’s explicit legal analysis and on‑the‑ground testimony (Amnesty International, Al Jazeera, TheNational.scot) versus the Israeli government’s formal rejection reported by The Guardian.

Gaza aid and military actions

Humanitarian access to Gaza remains severely constrained as Israeli forces control territory and restrict crossings.

Middle East Eye reports the Rafah crossing remains closed and only about 200 aid trucks per day are being allowed in versus the 600 agreed under the ceasefire, and Amnesty warns Palestinians face a slow death from shortages of food, shelter and medicine.

At the same time Israeli forces are conducting strikes and raids; VINnews and The Media Line describe precision strikes, tunnel collapses and arrests, actions that humanitarian sources say undermine relief efforts and threaten civilian survival.

These competing emphases show humanitarian crisis reporting and military operational reporting occurring in parallel.

Coverage Differences

Tone/Narrative

Humanitarian‑focused outlets (Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, Amnesty) emphasize restricted aid, closed crossings and the risk of mass civilian death, while military‑focused reports (VINnews, The Media Line) emphasize Israeli precision strikes, tunnel collapses and the killing or capture of fighters. The former frame describes a ‘slow death’ and blockade effects; the latter frame describes active Israeli operations to neutralise combatants and infrastructure, with little emphasis on humanitarian consequences.

Ceasefire exchanges and risks

The fragile ceasefire has produced prisoner and body exchanges, but military pressure around Rafah threatens to unravel the truce.

Al Jazeera reports Palestinian armed groups released all living captives and returned 26 of 28 remains, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned 345 bodies — tangible but limited humanitarian progress.

Diplomats and mediators are working urgently to avert renewed fighting as Israel demands the surrender or destruction of fighters it says are embedded in tunnels.

Media outlets describe diplomats racing to prevent the standoff from derailing the truce while Hamas urges mediators to force Israel to allow fighters to return.

The situation remains ambiguous and dangerous: releases have occurred, but Israeli operations in and around Rafah keep causing deaths and arrestees, and sources differ on whether the ceasefire's gains can hold.

Coverage Differences

Missed information / Narrative

Some sources emphasise humanitarian exchanges as proof of progress (Al Jazeera, Morning Star), while others stress ongoing Israeli military operations that threaten those gains (The Media Line, Insider Paper, Türkiye Today). The former report on the delivers and returns; the latter highlight the trapped fighters, Israeli strikes, arrests and the risk that those actions will derail the truce — showing different priorities and emphases across source types.

All 19 Sources Compared

Al Jazeera

Amnesty warns ‘genocide not over’ as Israel strikes across Gaza

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Al-Jazeera Net

Hamas appeals to mediators to bring back its fighters besieged in Rafah.

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Al-Jazeera Net

Talks to end the crisis of Hamas fighters trapped in the Rafah tunnels.

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Amnesty International

Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues unabated despite the ceasefire

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Common Dreams

'Genocide Is Not Over,' Amnesty Leader Says as Israel Keeps Bombing Gaza

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en.bd-pratidin

Amnesty warns ‘genocide not over’ as Israel strikes across Gaza

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Insider Paper

Negotiations under way on Hamas fighters trapped in Gaza tunnels: sources close to talks

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Mathrubhumi English

Hamas fighters trapped in Rafah tunnels as negotiations continue

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Middle East Eye

Israel's genocide in Gaza continues as Palestinians face 'slow death', Amnesty says

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Morning Star | The People’s Daily

Amnesty warns Gaza genocide 'not over' as first phase of ceasefire nears completion

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news.antiwar

Amnesty International Says Gaza Genocide Is Not Over

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Palestinian News Network

Israeli Officer Reveals New Details About Hamas Fighters in Rafah: “They Do Not Surrender”

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Roya News

Hamas condemns 'Israeli' hunt for trapped tunnel fighters as ceasefire violation

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The Guardian

Israel still committing genocide in Gaza, Amnesty International says

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The Media Line

Hamas Fighters Trapped in Rafah Tunnels: Grasping The Current Standoff

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TheNational.scot

Israel's genocide 'not over' despite ceasefire, human rights experts warn

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Türkiye Today

Hamas urges mediators to intervene after fighters trapped in Rafah tunnels

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VINnews

IDF Eliminates Four Hamas Gunmen, Captures Two More Emerging from Rafah Tunnels

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Winn FM

Amnesty warns ‘genocide not over’ as Israel strikes across Gaza

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