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Tuesday 11 Nov 2025
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Israel has said that it will determine the fate of around 200 Hamas members trapped in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in coordination with the Trump administration. (Photo/Via TRT)
Israel has said that it will determine the fate of around 200 Hamas members trapped in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in coordination with the Trump administration, signalling close US involvement in postwar decision-making.
“Any decision regarding the Hamas members will be made in cooperation with the Trump administration,” Shosh Bedrosian, spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, was quoted as saying on Monday by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Bedrosian confirmed that Netanyahu met US envoy Jared Kushner earlier on Monday to discuss key issues, including the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarisation of Gaza, and efforts to prevent Hamas from returning to power in the enclave.
Kushner, who arrived in Israel on Sunday, is visiting as part of Washington’s efforts to sustain the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on October 10.
No exit for trapped Hamas fighters
Israeli officials have repeatedly rejected appeals from mediators to allow the trapped Hamas members to leave Rafah. Estimates indicate that nearly 200 members remain encircled in Israeli-controlled areas of the city.
On Thursday, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said there would be “no deal” with the group, adding that the members would either be “eliminated or forced to surrender” and transferred to the Sde Teiman detention camp in southern Israel for interrogation.
Netanyahu has previously asserted that decisions concerning Hamas would be taken “independently,” but Monday’s announcement suggests a new level of coordination with Washington.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire plan, Hamas released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 26 others—mostly Israelis—in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase envisions rebuilding Gaza and creating a new governing body excluding Hamas.
According to the Gaza health authorities, more than 69,000 people have been killed and 170,600 injured since Israel began its war in October 2023.
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Source: TRT
