Netanyahu and Kushner Reach Agreement for Safe Transfer of Hamas Militants from Rafah

Israeli newspaper 'Yediot Ahronot' has disclosed, citing a source from the restricted ministerial cabinet, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. envoy Jared Kushner have finalized an agreement for the safe transfer of approximately 200 Hamas militants who are currently trapped in the tunnels of Rafah, located in southern Gaza.

Under the terms of the agreement, Israel will allow the militants to be securely transferred to a third country, as part of efforts to expedite the next phase of a previously agreed ceasefire plan. However, Israeli sources indicate that no country has yet agreed to host them, including Turkey and Qatar, despite intensive outreach by U.S. officials.

This week, Netanyahu and Kushner met in Jerusalem to discuss the specifics of the agreement, which is part of U.S. efforts to stabilize the ceasefire in Gaza and prevent a resurgence of armed conflict, particularly in areas like Rafah and Khan Younis, where tensions remain high.

This initiative comes amid internal criticism in Israel from some cabinet members who believe that transferring the militants without accountability could be viewed as a political concession, while others argue it is a humanitarian and security necessity to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire agreement.