Fate of dozens of trapped Hamas fighters hinders Trump's peace plan

A DISPUTE over the fate of as many as 200 Hamas fighters trapped inside tunnels in an Israeli-controlled area of Gaza is complicating the Trump administration’s efforts for peace, with the US pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give the militants safe passage.

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The disagreement over the fighters, who became stranded behind Israeli lines in Rafah after a ceasefire was announced last month, has underscored the broader potential pitfalls of the deal — including the thorny issue of disarming Hamas and growing Israeli frustration over what some officials see as US interference in the country’s national security.

“The bottom line is that this problem could threaten the agreement, but American pressure is continuous,” said a former Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Egypt has served as a key mediator in the talks and shares a border with the Gaza Strip that includes Rafah.

The former official said Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, who was in Israel this week, has pressed for a solution. The US has emphasised that Israel should refrain from killing the militants, he said, adding that it would “detonate the ceasefire agreement”.