Senior Israeli officials estimate that US pressure will push Israel to show flexibility regarding the issue of the terrorists in the Rafah tunnels, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
“Outwardly, everyone declares that Israel will not allow those 100–200 terrorists to leave the tunnels, even if they lay down their arms,” the official said. “But behind closed doors, everyone admits: if there is significant American pressure on this issue, Israel will have no choice but to compromise.”
US officials also made it clear in recent days that they want to resolve the issue of Hamas terrorists in the tunnels, saying that they "think [the terrorists] should get free passage, after Goldin's release."
US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.
On the agenda is the question of the Rafah terrorists, a topic that worries both the US administration and the mediating countries, who fear that Israeli attempts to capture or kill the terrorists could cause the ceasefire to collapse.
“The American idea is to conduct an experiment: allow them to disarm, leave the area, and begin rebuilding the Rafah region, all as a pilot program for President Trump’s plan to demilitarize Hamas,” another Israeli official told the Post.
The president’s envoys will also discuss the continued implementation of Trump’s plan and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, following Kazakhstan’s recent decision to join the four countries already participating in the agreements.
Israeli concerns over Turkish participation in Gaza international force
Meanwhile, Israel is concerned that Turkey will nonetheless take part in the reconstruction and post-war management of the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli opposition.
On Sunday evening, Netanyahu convened a meeting on the Turkish issue with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and other senior security officials.
Despite Israel’s objection to the participation of Turkish soldiers in the multinational force, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pressing hard to take part in Gaza’s reconstruction.
“Erdogan, you’ll only see Gaza through binoculars,” Katz posted to X/Twitter on Sunday.
Senior Turkish officials have recently met with Hamas leaders in an effort to resolve the Rafah terrorist crisis, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Monday.
A senior American official told the Post that “there is interest in having Turkey involved in the Gaza issue, they can serve as a ‘hammer’ over Hamas.”
Israel is also worried about Turkey’s growing involvement in Syria. Last week, reports indicated that a Turkish delegation visited bases abandoned by Assad’s army, with the intention of establishing a presence there.