The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) claim it has killed more than 30 Palestinian resistance fighters in Eastern Rafah who have attempted to exit their tunnels, as of November 28. An estimated 60-80 fighters from Hamas’ military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, remain beneath eastern Rafah. According to a prominent Hamas official, the fighters are “under siege” .

🔴ELIMINATED: 9 additional terrorists were located in underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah

The terrorists were most likely eliminated during the IDF’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the underground infrastructure sites through aerial strikes & engineering measures.…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 28, 2025

Attack on fighters in Rafah tunnels undermines ‘ceasefire’ agreement and violates of international law

The ‘ceasefire’ agreement required the IOF to reposition behind the ‘yellow line‘, for Phase 1 of Trump’s ‘peace plan’. So there are now around 40 active military positions held by the IOF in Gaza, outside of the yellow line.

This line does not only allow the IOF to remain in control of more than half of the Gaza Strip. It also means Hamas tunnel shafts, which are behind the yellow line, are now in areas controlled by the occupation. These areas are supposed to be no go areas for Palestinians. So resistance fighters operating underground, who were active at the moment the ‘ceasefire’ took effect, are now isolated. They are also vulnerable to attack by ‘Israel’.

Hamas publicly acknowledged this situation for the first time, on November 26, when it released a statement. It said the occupation had committed a brutal crime “through the pursuit, elimination, and arrest of the besieged mujahideen (fighters) in the tunnels of Rafah”. Hamas claims that by killing and arresting them, while they are leaving the tunnels, ‘Israel’s’ actions “constitute a flagrant violation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and is compelling evidence of the ongoing attempts to undermine the agreement”.

Hamas says it holds the occupation “fully responsible” for the fighters’ safety. It also criticises ‘Israel’ for “undermining the efforts of mediators”. Hamas says they have been working towards ending the suffering of its fighters and facilitating their return home.

‘Israel’ refused safe passage for fighters from Rafah tunnels back to liberated areas of Gaza

The US has reportedly been pressuring the Israeli regime to allow safe passage for Hamas fighters trapped in the Rafah tunnels. But Netanyahu’s Office has refused this idea, stating it “is not allowing safe passage for 200 Hamas terrorists”.

In its statement, Hamas is calling on mediators to continue pressuring the occupation to allow the safe return of its fighters. It notes that the Qassam Brigade fighters stuck in the tunnels are a “unique model of sacrifice, heroism, and patience”. It calls them “a symbol of the dignity and freedom of the Palestinian people”. Dignity, patience, sacrifice and heroism are all virtues the Israeli occupying forces will never ever embody.

The Israeli regime has reportedly sent a proposal to senior Hamas officials. It claims it would permit Palestinian resistance fighters to emerge from the tunnels if they surrender. These Palestinians must also agree to be detained in the occupation’s prisons. They would then supposedly be eligible for release if they agreed to disarm.

But al-Qassam Brigades affirms:

The enemy should know that in our dictionary, surrendering and handing oneself over to the occupier has no meaning.

Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X that he would “prioritise the destruction of the tunnels as the central task in the yellow zone”. Yet after more than two years of relentless attacks in Gaza, the Zionist regime has been unable to destroy the majority of Hamas tunnels. Katz himself claims that 60 percent still remain.

Tunnels — A vital tool for resistance

Tunnels in Gaza date back decades. Early uses were by groups like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to evade capture and resist incursions. Hamas expanded its tunnel network post-1987. This was mainly due to the outbreak of the First Intifada, a grassroots uprising against ‘Israel’s’ then 20 year military occupation. It began in December 1987, and resulted in 1100 Palestinians killed and more than 100,000 injured.

Hamas was founded that same year as an Islamist resistance group for the liberation of Palestine. It began developing underground infrastructure for smuggling weapons, evading Israeli forces, and sustaining operations amid intensified crackdowns. Tunnels then shifted from sporadic use to systematic expansion. They enabled the resistance to bypass military patrols and import essentials under blockade pressures.

The Israeli occupation’s frequent lockdowns and destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure like its airport and seaport by 2001, fuelled tunnel growth. These were a “safety valve” for goods and arms. Hamas, alongside other factions, oversaw deeper, longer tunnels to fund operations and counter Israeli superiority. These tunnels were viewed as tools of defiance during the First Intifada. This era laid the groundwork for tunnels to become integral to resistance logistics by the 1990s.

Tunnels form an underground network, which is a vital tool for the resistance. They allow the Palestinian resistance to withstand Israeli occupation forces, and offer protection, mobility and strategic surprise, despite relentless destruction efforts.

Armed resistance against occupation is legal, ethnic cleansing and genocide are not

These structures symbolise immense ingenuity against superior military power. The resistance may not match the Israeli occupation’s strength, advanced technology or firepower, but it demonstrates resourcefulness and adaptability. The criminal Israeli regime relies on its cutting edge equipment and well funded forces. Al-Qassam and other resistance groups rely only on their intimate knowledge of guerrilla tactics and the terrain. And their extensive network of underground tunnels to challenge the occupying power.

Palestinians remain subject to an occupying power that alters borders, terms and obligations with impunity. What was sold as a pause in violence has instead left these Palestinian freedom fighters isolated. They are cut off from their communities and are being denied protections that should be guaranteed under international law. The entrapment of these men makes clear no ceasefire can hold when one side can systematically violate it, and not be held accountable.  While this injustice continues, Palestinians remain at the mercy of an occupation that aims to ethnically cleanse the entire Gaza Strip, through a genocide if it can get away with it.

Featured image via AlJazeera website