DaysofPal – The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has held Israel fully responsible for the recent clashes with its fighters in Rafah, southern Gaza, stressing that their combatants are defending themselves within areas under Israeli control.
In a brief statement released on Sunday, the Brigades declared, “The Israeli enemy must understand that surrendering or yielding to the enemy is not part of the Al-Qassam Brigades’ principles.”
This statement underscores their continued engagement in frontline confrontations despite the harsh conditions facing Gaza after months of ongoing Israeli attacks.
The Brigades also called on mediators to fulfill their responsibilities, urging them to “find a solution that ensures the continuation of the ceasefire and prevents the occupation from violating it under flimsy pretexts or exploiting it to target innocent civilians in Gaza.”
Regarding the issue of retrieving bodies, the Al-Qassam Brigades noted that the recent recovery operations were carried out under extremely complex and difficult conditions, emphasizing that they have fully adhered to the requirements outlined in existing agreements.
They further highlighted that completing the recovery of the remaining bodies will require additional technical teams and equipment, pointing to the logistical and operational challenges their teams face in areas controlled by Israel in southern Gaza.
This statement comes hours after the Brigades announced the recovery of the body of Israeli officer Hadar Goldin from Rafah, marking a sensitive development on the ground amid ongoing efforts to stabilize the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
On the Israeli side, Army Radio reported that security authorities are preparing to receive the body of an Israeli prisoner at 2:00 PM local time, without initially confirming the identity.
However, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing a political source, reported that Israel is demanding the immediate return of Goldin’s body and views the matter “with extreme seriousness.”
The ongoing ceasefire agreement, which started on October 10, serves as the backdrop for the handover and negotiations. Since then, the Palestinian resistance has released 20 Israeli captives alive and transferred the bodies of 23 out of 28 captives who died during the conflict.
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