Al-Qassam Brigades reports casualties among Israeli soldiers in Gaza

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, reported on Friday that its fighters inflicted casualties on Israeli soldiers during clashes south of the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

In a statement, the brigades said its fighters engaged in intense combat with Israeli forces advancing south of Zeitoun resulting in both deaths and injuries among the Israeli troops.

The statement did not specify the number of casualties.

The group also reported the landing of an Israeli Yas'ur helicopter to evacuate the casualties.

There has been no official confirmation from the Israeli sources regarding the incident.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara