Palestinian fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Palestinian Movement Hamas, undermined on Sunday night “complicated” Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Al-Qassam Brigades senior leader in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis Nour Baraka uncovered a squad of Israeli Special Forces three kilometres deep in the east of the city.
“Barak approached the forces and asked them some questions,” the statement said. “When he became sure they were undercover Israeli forces, he asked his bodyguards to surround them.”
Speaking to Days of Palestine, an eyewitness said: “At this point, the Israeli Special Forces, who were in a dark blue vehicle, an exchange of fire erupted between Baraka and his guards and immediately Israeli fighters and drones started bombing towards Baraka and his bodyguards.”
The fighter continued: “The Israeli Special Forces fled, but after a distance, near the eastern fence of the city, the vehicle damaged and they took off under a heavy fire from the Israeli fighters and went through the fence towards their bases in the occupied lands.”
Casualties
Palestinian sources said that Baraka and five other Palestinian fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades and one from the Popular Resistance were killed in the operation.
Israeli media reported Israeli army officials saying that the Israeli Special forces attempted to carry out an intelligence operation of an “utmost importance” to the Israeli security.
They also said that a senior Israeli Special Forces soldier was killed in the failed operation and another was seriously wounded.
According to the Israeli media, the identity of the Israeli soldier, who was killed in the failed operation, would remain unidentified due to security issues.
Senior Israeli military officials said that Israel is not interested in escalating the situation in Gaza and mass media reported that the Egyptians have been trying with the Palestinian resistance to calm down.
Many of the Israeli military analysts and commentators expressed their disappointment with the Israeli Special Forces and said that they “can only make failures.”
“This was the most complicated operation ever carried out by the Israeli Special Forces and the Israeli soldier who was killed in the failed operation was the most senior among those killed since 2014,” the Israeli army reported.
Followed up by Motasem A Dalloul in Gaza
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=4362
