Al-Qassam Brigades claims attacking Israeli forces in Gaza

By Nour Abuaisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced a series of operations targeting Israeli forces across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

In a statement, Al-Qassam claimed that its fighters detonated three pre-planted explosive tunnels beneath Israeli forces in the Tal as Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah in southern Gaza.

In separate incidents, the brigades reported targeting two Israeli Merkava tanks. The first tank was hit by a Yassin 105 rocket in eastern Rafah, while the second was destroyed by a barrel bomb in eastern Khan Younis.

Additionally, Al-Qassam, in coordination with the Islamic Jihad's military wing, Saraya Al-Quds, stated they launched a barrage of mortar shells at Israeli troops east of Khan Younis.

The group also mentioned that, along with Saraya Al-Quds, they destroyed another Merkava tank on Monday using an explosive device in the Tal as Sultan area.

The Israeli military has yet to comment on these attacks.

Earlier in the day, Al-Qassam also claimed responsibility for firing two rockets at Tel Aviv and its surrounding areas in central Israel, marking the first such attack since May 26.

The Israeli army has killed nearly 40,000 people in a deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip since last Oct. 7 following a Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio