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"The enemy must know that the concept of surrender and handing oneself over does not exist in the dictionary of the Al-Qassam Brigades," the group said.
Hamas terrorists holed up in the Israeli-held Rafah area of Gaza will not surrender to Israel, the group's armed wing said on Sunday, urging mediators to find a solution to a crisis that threatens the month-old ceasefire.
Sources close to mediation efforts told Reuters on Thursday that terrorists could surrender their arms in exchange for passage to other areas of the enclave under a proposal aimed at resolving the stalemate.
Egyptian mediators have proposed that, in exchange for safe passage, terrorists still in Rafah surrender their arms to Egypt and give details of tunnels there so they can be destroyed, said one of the sources, an Egyptian security official.
Sunday's statement from Al-Qassam Brigades held Israel responsible for engaging the terrorists, who it said were defending themselves.
"The enemy must know that the concept of surrender and handing oneself over does not exist in the dictionary of the Al-Qassam Brigades," the group said.
Disarming Hamas as part of Gaza deal
US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday that the proposed deal for about 200 terrorists would be a test for a broader process to disarm Hamas forces across Gaza.Al-Qassam Brigades did not comment directly on the continuing talks over the terrorists in Rafah but implied that the crisis could affect the ceasefire.
"We place the mediators before their responsibilities, and they must find a solution to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire and prevent the enemy from using flimsy pretexts to violate it and exploit the situation to target innocent civilians in Gaza," the group said.
Since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 10, the Rafah area has been the scene of at least two attacks on Israeli forces, which Israel has blamed on Hamas. The terrorist group has denied responsibility.
Rafah has been the scene of the worst violence since the ceasefire took hold, with three Israeli soldiers killed, prompting Israeli retaliation that killed dozens of Palestinians.
Israel anticipates Hamas to return remains of Hadar Goldin
Separately, Al-Qassam Brigades said it will hand over the body of deceased soldier Hadar Goldin in Gaza on Sunday at 2 p.m. Since the ceasefire, Hamas has handed over the bodies of 23 of 28 deceased hostages. Hamas has said the devastation in Gaza has made locating the bodies difficult. Israel accuses Hamas of stalling.Israel has released to Gaza the bodies of 300 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Local health authorities said on Sunday that one man was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Bani Suhaila east of Khan Yunis, south of the enclave. The Israeli military made no immediate comment.
Reuters
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-873224
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