Israeli army claims to have killed 4 Hamas fighters in southern Gaza

The Israeli army claimed on Sunday that it killed four Hamas fighters in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a military statement on Telegram, the army said that four people "who exited underground infrastructure" in eastern Rafah were killed in an overnight operation.

There were no further details regarding the identities of the killed individuals.

No immediate comment was reported from the Palestinian group Hamas on the Israeli claim.

In recent days, Israeli media have reported that around 200 Hamas fighters are trapped inside a tunnel in Rafah and that Tel Aviv has not yet responded to demands by Hamas and mediators to allow them safe passage to areas under the group's control.

The city of Rafah lies within the yellow zone, an area still occupied by the Israeli army inside the Gaza Strip.

A ceasefire agreement mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye and backed by the US came into force on Oct. 10 between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Phase one of the ceasefire deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Israel has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.