Hamas Refuses Surrender in Rafah: Ongoing Tensions Threaten Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Gaza's ceasefire, brokered by US President Donald Trump, has been in effect since October 10.

Hamas's armed wing declared on Sunday that their fighters currently positioned in Israeli-controlled Rafah area of Gaza will not surrender to Israeli forces, calling on mediators to resolve the crisis that threatens the month-old ceasefire.

According to sources familiar with mediation efforts who spoke to Reuters last Thursday, a proposal to end the stalemate would allow fighters to surrender their weapons in exchange for safe passage to other areas of Gaza.

Egyptian mediators have suggested that fighters remaining in Rafah could surrender their weapons to Egypt and provide information about tunnel locations for destruction, in return for guaranteed safe passage, according to an Egyptian security official close to the negotiations.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, released a statement on Sunday holding Israel responsible for engaging their fighters, who they claim are acting in self-defense.

"The enemy must understand that surrender and capitulation do not exist in the Al-Qassam Brigades' dictionary," the group firmly stated.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff indicated on Thursday that the proposed deal involving approximately 200 fighters would serve as a test for a more comprehensive process to disarm Hamas forces throughout Gaza.

While not directly addressing ongoing talks regarding fighters in Rafah, Al-Qassam Brigades implied that the current situation could impact the ceasefire.

"We call on mediators to fulfill their responsibilities and find a solution that ensures the ceasefire's continuation and prevents the enemy from using flimsy pretexts to violate it and target innocent Gaza civilians," the group stated.

Since the US-brokered ceasefire began on October 10, Rafah has experienced at least two attacks on Israeli forces, which Israel attributes to Hamas. The group has consistently denied responsibility for these incidents.

Rafah has witnessed the most severe violence since the ceasefire implementation, with three Israeli soldiers killed, triggering Israeli retaliation that resulted in dozens of Palestinian casualties.

In a separate development, Al-Qassam Brigades announced plans to return the body of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin on Sunday at 2 pm (1200 GMT).

Hamas has returned the bodies of 23 out of 28 hostages since the ceasefire began. The group maintains that Gaza's widespread destruction has complicated efforts to locate remaining bodies, while Israel accuses Hamas of deliberate delays.

According to Gaza's health ministry, Israel has returned the bodies of 300 Palestinians to the territory.

Local health authorities reported on Sunday that one man was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on this incident.

Hamas captured 251 hostages during the October 7 attacks and killed approximately 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has resulted in nearly 69,000 Palestinian deaths, according to health officials in Gaza.