Over the past month, Palestinian and Arab media have repeatedly returned to the issue of the Hamas operatives trapped in the Rafah tunnels, located in the al-Janina neighborhood in eastern Rafah (within Israel’s area of control). In the background, talks are under way between various mediators—led by Turkey—and Hamas, the U.S. administration, and Israel, in an effort to resolve the matter. It should be noted that even the number of operatives trapped in the tunnels remains unclear. Early reports cited approximately 200 operatives, but recently Hamas’s military wing stated that the number is closer to 60.

Monitoring Palestinian and Arab media indicates that coverage of the issue is driven primarily by concerns over the stability of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. However, it appears the topic is being kept at a “low profile” so as not to “sabotage” mediation efforts and to leave room for a possible resolution. Palestinian and Arab media cover Israeli reporting and Palestinian social-media reactions—mostly from Gaza— and publish videos of controlled explosions carried out by the IDF in eastern Rafah.

Below are key reports from Palestinian media and social networks:

• Mohammad Nazzal, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said in a November 3 interview with Al Jazeera—following Israeli reports that Israel intends to pump cement into the Rafah tunnels—that this would constitute a “blatant and ongoing violation” of the ceasefire agreement by Israel. Nazzal said this would constitute a “new crime.” He noted that the ceasefire agreement does not address this issue, but obligates Israel to allow the operatives to leave the tunnel unharmed. He added that the resistance would respond clearly to any harm, but was waiting for U.S. and Turkish efforts to resolve the crisis.[1]
  
  
• Islam Badr, Al-Arabi TV’s correspondent in Gaza, reported on November 10 that Hamas sources had told him the number of operatives trapped in the Rafah tunnels is about 50–60, not 200 as previously reported. According to these sources, the operatives do not intend to surrender or turn themselves in.[2]
  
  
• A senior Hamas official, interviewed anonymously on November 5 by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat, claimed that Hamas, together with the mediators—and, in his assessment, also Israel and the United States—are all interested in preventing the agreement from collapsing. According to him, all parties share an interest in avoiding developments that would give Israel a pretext to resume the war in Gaza.[3]
  
  
• The Egyptian channel Al-Ghad reported on November 16 that IDF forces continue to blow up and demolish structures throughout Rafah. According to its correspondent, most of the activity is taking place in the area now under IDF control, especially the al-Janina neighborhood in eastern Rafah, where Hamas operatives are trapped in one of the tunnels.
  
  
• Dr. Iyad Abu Znait, Fatah’s spokesperson in Ramallah, discussed the issue on November 8 in an interview with the Dubai-based channel Al-Mashhad. According to him, Israel does not want to move to Phase B of President Trump’s plan and instead seeks to extend Phase A. He argued that Israel aims to establish facts on the ground and continue solidifying its control over Gaza. Regarding the Hamas operatives reportedly trapped in the Rafah tunnels, Abu Znait said that Hamas also has no information about their condition because contact with them has been lost.[4]
  
  
• On Palestinian social media, expressions of sympathy and support for the “fighters of jihad” appear alongside public concern and frustration over the ongoing crisis in Rafah. Many Palestinians responded to posts on the Facebook pages of the Al-Quds daily and EREM NEWS with prayers: “O God, save the fighters and the men of jihad just as You saved Abraham from the fiery furnace and Joseph from the prison,” “O God, bring the fighters of jihad out of the tunnel safe and sound,” “Lord, protect them and bring them out of the tunnel,” “They will emerge from the tunnel with pride and strength,” “Where are the accursed mediators?”[5]
  
  
• Concern and dissatisfaction—At the same time, Palestinians voiced deep concern and frustration over the situation in Rafah. According to them, the presence of Hamas operatives in the Rafah tunnels endangers their lives and exposes them to further strikes and controlled IDF explosions in the area. Palestinians feel they are becoming “bargaining chips,” with no regard for their hardships. Others continued to criticize Hamas’s conduct, which they say deliberately obstructs the Strip’s rehabilitation and ignores civilian suffering after the Gaza war. One wrote that “this case may cause them more harm.” Another sent a desperate plea to the world: “Stop the explosions and the blockade. Palestinians have the right to live, not only to survive.”[6]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxmO8rHjH1c

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOADpRKjb1I

[3] https://aawsat.com/العالم-العربي/المشرق-العربي/5204561-عناصر-حماس-خلف-الخط-الأصفر-ماذا-نعرف-عنهم-وكيف-سيعودون؟

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGadfYSo3O0&t=45s

[5] https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02M3mdHNH2Hz7Swk6AotpNqLvqgh2LoaJbkT6jvJRsRvnUQ4WL3wn4uCpydgDfFiEHl&id=100064582968165

[6] http://www.reddit.com//r/Palestine/comments/1ou3urz?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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