The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Monday that they had killed and wounded several Israeli soldiers during an attack in Gaza City. On basis of a press statement from the brigades, their members targeted a group of ten Israeli soldiers with an anti-personnel bomb, resulting in reported casualties in the area.
The statement further mentioned that the brigades observed a helicopter landing for evacuation purposes but did not provide additional details about the incident, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In a different claim, the brigades asserted they had hit an Israeli armored personnel carrier with a “Yassin 105” missile in the area of Tuwam, located north of Gaza City. The Israeli army yet not has commented on these incidents.
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Public Israeli radio reported that military forces in Gaza faced significant security challenges and dispatched helicopters to evacuate injured soldiers.
Additionally, the Al-Qassam Brigades stated they targeted the Sderot area in Israel, as well as military gatherings and operational centers east of Rafah city, using several Rajum short-range missiles. No casualties or damage were reported from the launch of these missile.
Earlier in the day, the Al-Qassam Brigades expressed their readiness for a prolonged conflict against Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Spokesman Abu Ubaida declared in a video message that the group will wage a “long and painful war of attrition” against Israel, marking the first anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 assault that killed 1,200 people.
Ubaida further claimed that Hamas has inflicted significant damage, stating, “On all fronts of combat and throughout Gaza, we have killed and targeted hundreds of soldiers, destroyed Israeli vehicles, and refined our tactics.”
The northern Gaza Strip has faced heavy Israeli air and artillery bombardment since Sunday, coinciding with the Israeli army’s announcement of a ground operation in Jabalia which aimed at Hamas.
Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza reportedly resulted in nearly 42,000 Palestinian deaths, according to health officials in Gaza.