Tel Aviv [Israel], November 4 (HBTV): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Monday that Israel will not permit safe passage for about 200 Hamas terrorists trapped in the Israeli-controlled Rafah area, dismissing media reports that such an option was under consideration.
‘The Prime Minister continues his firm stance of disarming Hamas and demilitarising the Strip while thwarting terrorist threats against our forces,’ the statement read.
Earlier in the day, several Israeli media outlets suggested that the government might consider allowing the fighters to leave Rafah if they agreed to surrender their weapons and if Hamas returned the bodies of additional fallen hostages. Al Jazeera reported that mediators had discussed evacuating the fighters in Red Cross vehicles through a designated corridor.
The reports sparked sharp criticism from government members. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X, ‘Mr Prime Minister, this is utter madness. Stop this.’
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also urged Netanyahu to reject the proposal, saying that the 200 terrorists located beyond the Yellow Line should either be killed or imprisoned. ‘This is an opportunity to destroy or arrest them, not release them under ridiculous conditions,’ Ben Gvir said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that soldiers had eliminated several terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line and posed an immediate threat to Israeli troops.
Meanwhile, the remains of three Israelis brought back from Gaza overnight were identified as Col. Assaf Hammi, Capt. Omer Neutra, and Sgt. Oz Daniel — all of whom were killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
That assault left about 1,200 people dead and saw 252 Israelis and foreign nationals taken hostage by Hamas. The bodies of eight Israelis are still believed to be held in Gaza.
(ANI/TPS)