The U.S. mediates the issue of Hamas trapped in tunnels, planning to pilot a "disarmament for safe passage" approach
According to U.S. media Axios, after Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement, some Hamas fighters hiding in tunnels near the border of Israeli-controlled areas found themselves in a difficult and dilemma. The U.S. government is using this stalemate to mediate, planning to use the "disarmament within tunnels and safe passage arrangements" as a pilot scheme to promote Hamas' disarmament.
After the ceasefire was reached, some Hamas fighters hiding in tunnels in southern Gaza's Rafah and other areas, near the Israeli military control line, still had sporadic conflicts with the Israeli army, posing threats to the ceasefire twice. Last week, the U.S. had proposed through indirect channels that Hamas establish a 24-hour "safe passage" allowing fighters in the tunnels to evacuate within a limited time. Initially, Hamas did not accept, but later expressed interest, though Israel considered the deadline had passed at that time; also, hardliners within Israel opposed the proposal.
Axios cited two informed U.S. officials who said that the U.S. has been mediating continuously these days and invited Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin to participate in the mediation. The U.S.-proposed plan includes: requiring armed personnel in the tunnels to surrender, hand over weapons to a third country and commit to no longer engaging in armed activities; in exchange, Israel would grant amnesty to those who meet the conditions and send them back to Hamas-controlled areas, while destroying the relevant tunnels. The U.S. hopes to use this case as a "test" for disarmament, and if successful, it could be expanded to other parts of Gaza.
However, the plan is still under negotiation. U.S. officials stated that Israel should not let local tactical issues undermine the overall strategic goals of the ceasefire. Israel remains highly skeptical about whether Hamas is genuinely disarming, and there are strong voices within the right-wing alliance opposing the granting of amnesty to Hamas members. An Israeli senior official pointed out that the government has not accepted all the terms of the proposal and emphasized that some Hamas members are suspected of major violent crimes and should not be granted amnesty. One condition that Israel has put forward is demanding that Hamas return the body of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, who died during the 2014 conflict.
Promoting Hamas' disarmament is one of the most sensitive aspects of the U.S.-initiated Gaza peace plan. On one hand, the U.S. hopes to avoid a full-scale resumption of hostilities, while on the other hand, it is seeking a feasible path that can ease the current stalemate without touching Israel's security bottom line. (Rural Cat)
Photo: Israeli military published in August the area where they struck what were claimed to be Hamas tunnel entrances. (Reuters archive photo)
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848082908872711/
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