Hamas Rejects Surrender in Rafah, Urges Mediators to Uphold Gaza Ceasefire

Hamas fighters trapped in the Israeli-controlled Rafah area of Gaza have declared they will not surrender, as the group’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, called on international mediators to preserve the fragile ceasefire. The stance comes amid mounting pressure to resolve the standoff that threatens to derail the month-old truce.

Sources close to ongoing negotiations revealed that Egyptian mediators proposed a deal allowing around 200 fighters safe passage to other parts of Gaza if they surrender their weapons to Egypt and reveal tunnel locations for destruction. However, Hamas rejected any notion of surrender, saying its forces are merely defending themselves against Israeli aggression.

“The concept of surrender does not exist in the dictionary of the Al-Qassam Brigades,” the group said in a statement, accusing Israel of provoking renewed clashes. The group urged mediators to act responsibly to sustain the ceasefire and prevent Israel from using “flimsy pretexts” to target civilians in Gaza.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff described the proposed deal as a test case for broader disarmament of Hamas forces across Gaza. Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Rafah has witnessed multiple attacks and counterstrikes, including one that killed three Israeli soldiers and dozens of Palestinians in retaliation.

In a separate development, Al-Qassam Brigades announced it would return the body of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin to Israel. Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has handed over 23 of 28 deceased hostages, while Israel has released 300 Palestinian bodies, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The conflict has exacted a devastating toll, with Israeli figures citing 1,200 deaths from Hamas’s October 7 attacks, and Gaza health officials reporting nearly 69,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive.