Gaza Herald – Israel has accelerated a series of leaked claims and staged footage alleging the killing or capture of resistance fighters trapped in Rafah tunnels, in what analysts describe as a desperate propaganda attempt to manufacture a victory it failed to achieve on the battlefield.
The campaign comes as Israel faces mounting public pressure after two years of military, security, and economic exhaustion under the ongoing genocide.
Analysts say Israel’s focus on “trapped fighters” and its release of misleading or fabricated videos are designed to distract its public from the army’s inability to break the resistance in Rafah. Despite the ceasefire, field reports indicate that nearly 200 fighters trapped in Rafah still refused to “surrender with hands raised,” as Israel’s chief of staff demanded, with armed clashes at the end of October proving that surrender was never on the table.
Hamas said Israel’s pursuit, killing, and arrest of besieged fighters inside the Rafah tunnels constitutes a blatant breach of the ceasefire agreement and an attempt to collapse it entirely.
The Movement said it had worked closely with mediators and the U.S. administration for a month to reach a safe arrangement for the fighters’ return home, but Israel destroyed all efforts and chose “murder, persecution, and detention” instead.
Israeli-affairs researcher Rami Abu Zubaydah stated that Israel’s obsession with the Rafah fighters reflects its failure to achieve a decisive military breakthrough against Gaza’s tunnel network after years of genocide. He said Israel is now using the narrative of “tunnel victories” as a political tool at the negotiating table, attempting to appease a frustrated Israeli public and influence Gaza’s population through psychological pressure.
Political analyst Iyad al-Qara said Israel is relying on fabricated and edited footage to damage the image of the fighters after two years of continuous confrontation. He said the army’s claims are attempts to hide its failure, stressing that the fighters’ ability to endure impossible conditions for two years is itself a major defeat for Israel, one it is trying to cover with propaganda rather than achievements on the ground.
