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Scores of Palestinian militants are still in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza and blocked from leaving safely by the military, three Israeli security officials have said, posing a challenge to mediators hoping to shore up a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas. The militants’ proximity to Israeli soldiers has raised concerns about inadvertent clashes. Israel redeployed its forces inside Gaza as part of the cease-fire deal in October, leaving the military in control of roughly half of the enclave. Some of those militants are believed to be hiding in tunnels under the southern city of Rafah, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details. It is unclear how long the militants have been in those areas. A person close to Hamas’s leadership confirmed the presence of the militants behind the Israeli withdrawal boundary, known as the “yellow line.” Hamas officials declined to comment. Since the start of the truce, the Israeli military has said that it was targeted twice by militants in Rafah, killing three soldiers. It said those attacks had been staged behind the yellow line. The military held Hamas responsible for those attacks and responded by carrying out enormous strikes across Gaza. Around 150 Palestinians were killed in those strikes, including children, according to Gaza’s health authorities, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
