RAFAH, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Israeli occupation forces (IOF) announced on Friday that three Palestinian fighters were assassinated in an overnight air strike targeting a tunnel east of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, as Israel continues lethal operations despite an existing ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, the IOF said the strike targeted what it described as “eight armed individuals” allegedly detected emerging from a tunnel in the area.
The IOF said it carried out additional air strikes on nearby locations where others reportedly attempted to withdraw, adding that it is still assessing the results of the operation.
The announcement comes amid unresolved negotiations related to the Rafah tunnel file. In late 2025, Hamas said it had engaged mediators in talks seeking safe passage for around 200 fighters from the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, who were trapped inside a tunnel in Rafah. Israel, according to Hamas, rejected the proposal.
The issue remains unresolved despite developments in the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the announcement by US president Donald Trump in mid-January that the second phase of the deal had begun.
According to local sources, the IOF has killed at least 511 Palestinians and wounded 1,356 others since the ceasefire took effect on October 10.
The ceasefire formally ended Israel’s two-year genocide against the Gaza Strip, which left more than 71,000 Palestinians martyred and over 171,000 wounded. The assault devastated approximately 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure, with the United Nations estimating reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.
