Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas resistance movement says its fighters have captured a new group of Israeli forces in part of its large-scale operation against the occupying Israeli regime.
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Al-Qassam spokesman, Abu Ubaida said al-Qassam fighters succeeded during their Sunday assaults, which marked the second day of Operation al-Aqsa Storm, to take a new group of enemy troops captive and transfer them to the Gaza Strip.
Operation al-Aqsa Storm, which got underway by the Gaza Strip-based resistance factions on Saturday, is the biggest operation launched by Palestinian groups against the occupying entity in years. It has so far led to the death of more than 700 Israeli settlers and troops while, according to unofficial estimates, approximately 750 Israeli soldiers and settlers have gone missing.
Speaking in a televised speech on Sunday, the secretary general of Islamic Jihad resistance movement said the best way for Israel to prevent more of its forces from being taken captive or killed is to own up to its defeat in the face of the Palestinian resistance.
"[The number of] the enemy's prisoners of war, including soldiers and settlers that we have captured in Gaza, [amounts to] dozens and more. In fact, I can say that their number is far higher than this," Nakhala said, adding, "The Islamic Jihad alone has more than 30 enemy captives."
Elsewhere in his remarks, Abu Ubaida revealed that al-Qassam fighters have documented cases in which the Israeli military has killed a number of its own soldiers after they were taken captive by Palestinian fighters.
According to Abu Ubaida, al-Qassam fighters managed to reach the Mavki'im area south of Ashkelon, which is located in the southern part of the occupied territories, during their Sunday battle.
He added that once in the Mavki'im area, Palestinian fighters engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces, which led to a large number of deaths and injuries among the enemy’s ranks.
The Palestinian fighters, the spokesman said, were still engaged in "violent and heroic" clashes in several areas near the Gaza Strip, including Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Mordechai, Kfar Azza, Be'eri, Yatid and Kissufim.
"A number of our fighters were able to withdraw safely from the Urim base [in the Negev Desert], which houses the Israeli regime's Intelligence Unit 8200, after completing their mission there and finishing off a large number of enemy forces," Abu Ubaida said.
He also hailed Palestinian people who “are making their victory, [while] awaiting their freedom and inflicting pain, heartbreak, and defeat on their enemy with the help of their heroic Mujahideen and fighters.”
Following the start of the operation on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Gazan fighters had managed to take no more than "dozens" of Israelis captive.
Later the same day, Abu Ubaida retorted by saying that the number of Israeli captives was far higher than what Netanyahu believed.
"Today, you talked about dozens of prisoners and we reassure you, Netanyahu, that your prisoners are many times more than this number, and you must keep track of your soldiers well," Abu Ubaida said.
