Israel in talks over fate of Hamas fighters near Gaza 'yellow line' - a Muslim perspective
Assalamu alaykum. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US are discussing with Israel what should happen to Hamas fighters still inside the group's tunnel network in the part of Gaza that Israeli forces control, according to sources. They said the number behind the “yellow line” - where Israeli troops withdrew under the US-brokered ceasefire on October 10 - is unclear but likely in the low hundreds.
The mediators have proposed allowing those fighters to travel safely to areas held by Hamas, with Red Cross vehicles transporting them. The plan would require them to leave heavy weapons and keep only small arms for self-defence, sources added.
Israel has not given a final answer. Sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure from hardliners in his government who oppose letting the fighters go, blaming some for recent deadly attacks on Israeli soldiers.
There are concerns the trapped fighters, some reportedly out of contact with commanders for months, might launch attacks on Israeli troops, which could break the fragile ceasefire and undermine US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. “There is a genuine fear that some of them will resort to suicide missions against the Israeli military,” one source said, warning that such acts could collapse the ceasefire and derail the whole process.
The first phase of the agreement saw a ceasefire come into effect and Hamas release 20 living hostages in exchange for roughly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Hamas has also returned the remains of more than half of the 28 hostages who died in captivity but says widespread destruction in Gaza makes finding the rest difficult.
The second phase of the plan touches on sensitive issues: sending an international stabilisation force to Gaza, who will govern the enclave, disarming Hamas and rebuilding the territory. Reports say the US circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution this week to establish a force likely to have a two-year mandate.
That force is expected to number around 4,000 and would be drawn from Arab and Muslim countries, working with several thousand Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan - countries that have peace treaties with Israel. Palestinian factions are due to meet in Egypt to choose a 15-member commission of independent Palestinian technocrats to run Gaza’s day-to-day affairs after the war.
A brief reminder of the conflict’s toll: the Gaza war began after Hamas and allied groups attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel’s response has, by Gaza government figures, killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 170,000. The war has caused a huge humanitarian crisis, displacing most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people. In August the UN declared famine in parts of Gaza after months of restrictions on aid. Humanitarian deliveries improved after the ceasefire began but remain far short of needs, say Palestinian officials and aid groups.
May Allah ease the suffering of the innocent and guide leaders toward a just and lasting solution. Wa al-salam.
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