Hamas terrorists in Rafah, September 20, 2023. (Shutterstock)
The statement by officials counters an earlier report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting US adviser Jared Kushner supported sending the terrorists into exile.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israeli officials on Tuesday night shut down media claims that Jerusalem and Washington had decided to allow 100-200 Hamas terrorists trapped in Rafah safe passage in exchange for disarming.
A report circulated earlier in the Hebrew press alleged that a deal had been reached following a lengthy standoff.
An Israeli source said flatly that “there is no agreed-upon solution regarding the terrorists in Rafah,” countering a report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting US adviser Jared Kushner supported sending the terrorists into exile.
The disputed report described a concept that would let roughly 100 to 200 Hamas members surface from tunnels on the Israeli-controlled stretch of the Gaza border if they surrender their weapons and accept relocation.
The idea, according to Israeli media, was raised as a possible way to close a lingering point of friction in Rafah without dragging the ceasefire into a new confrontation.
American officials are urging Israel to resolve the matter quickly, warning that the issue of the up to 200 terrorists is interfering with questions of governance in Gaza.
Washington has conveyed that the Rafah standoff involves only a fraction of Hamas’s remaining force, noting that an estimated 20,000 armed terrorists remain active in areas still administered by the group.
Diplomats say Turkey has been deeply involved in relaying messages between the parties, working through channels coordinated with Washington.
Even so, no state has volunteered to receive the terrorist if an exile arrangement is approved, leaving one of the most sensitive pieces of the proposal unresolved.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to review the ceasefire and assess next steps to stabilize Gaza and its surrounding region.
The meeting highlighted Ankara’s expanding role in enforcing and monitoring the ceasefire terms.
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