(MENAFN) The Israeli military asserted late Sunday that its forces killed 40 Hamas fighters who were trapped in tunnel networks beneath Rafah in southern Gaza over the past week. According to the army’s statement, operations aimed at dismantling the remaining underground passages in eastern Rafah have been stepped up in an effort to target militants sheltering inside. “Last week, more than 40 militants were eliminated inside the tunnels,” the statement said.

Israeli forces have previously claimed additional arrests and killings of Hamas members in the same area. Hamas has not yet issued a response to the latest claims.

General reporting in Israeli media suggests that roughly 200 Hamas fighters remain confined within Rafah’s underground tunnel system, and that authorities have not agreed to requests from Hamas or mediators to permit a safe evacuation to zones under the group’s control.

Rafah currently sits within what is referred to as the “yellow zone,” an area of the Gaza Strip that continues to be occupied by Israeli troops.

A cease-fire arrangement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye—with U.S. backing—took effect on Oct. 10, outlining a phased plan. The initial phase includes exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees, while later stages envision rebuilding Gaza and creating a new administrative structure that excludes Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 people—most of them women and children—and injuries to nearly 171,000 others, according to general accounts.

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