Gaza Ceasefire Hangs in Balance as US Mediates Fighter Standoff, Israel Blocks Turkish Troops

For more than 150 Hamas fighters trapped in Rafah's underground tunnels, the fragile ceasefire has become a waiting game of survival. Cut off from their command and surrounded by Israeli forces, they represent the most immediate threat to the US-brokered truce that took effect in October.

"The enemy must know that the concept of surrender and handing oneself over does not exist in the dictionary of the Al-Qassam Brigades," the group declared in a statement on Sunday, underscoring the precarious nature of the ceasefire that has already seen multiple violations by Israeli forces.

The standoff comes amid conflicting international positions on Gaza's future security arrangements. Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian reiterated on Sunday that "there will be no Turkish boots on the ground" in any multinational peacekeeping force, directly contradicting statements from US officials who had indicated Turkey would participate.

US President Donald Trump's plan to end the two-year war calls for a temporary International Stabilisation Force, though the force has yet to be established and faces resistance from multiple quarters. Jordan has emphasised the force should not be expected to enforce the ceasefire or disarm Hamas, while Azerbaijan said it would not join until military action ends completely.

According to Israeli and US media reports, Washington is pressing Israel to permit safe passage for the trapped fighters toward Hamas-held areas. The proposal involves coordination with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey through the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre in Israel. Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has returned the bodies of 23 Israeli captives, while Israel has transferred 300 Palestinian bodies to Gaza, according to the enclave's health ministry.

"We place the mediators before their responsibilities, and they must find a solution to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire and prevent the enemy from using flimsy pretexts to violate it," said an Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

"Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, the international community should support this in the best possible way - diplomatically, institutionally and economically," Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated after recent talks with Muslim allies.

"This safe-passage initiative could serve as a test for a broader disarmament process across Gaza," said US envoy Steve Witkoff, speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv. "We're looking at practical solutions that prevent further bloodshed while maintaining security."

The diplomatic tensions extend beyond the immediate ceasefire concerns. The controversy surrounding former Israeli military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who was hospitalised Sunday after a suspected suicide attempt while under house arrest for leaking footage of Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian detainee, has exposed deep divisions within Israeli society about accountability for military conduct.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Tomer-Yerushalmi of causing "the worst public relations disaster Israel has ever experienced," reflecting the political sensitivity surrounding military conduct investigations.

Middle East analysts suggest the coming days will be critical for the ceasefire's survival. "The trapped fighters situation represents the most immediate flashpoint, but the broader disagreement over international troop composition threatens to undermine the entire peacekeeping framework," said Dr. Sarah Cohen, a regional security analyst at the Middle East Institute. "Without a compromise on both fronts, we risk seeing the ceasefire unravel completely, with devastating consequences for civilians in Gaza."

Israel | Middle East, Conflict, Diplomacy | |