Hamas claims Israeli troops killed, wounded, and captured in Gaza tunnel

The armed wing of Hamas claimed on Saturday that it had captured at least one Israeli soldier during an ambush in the Gaza Strip, a claim that Israel denied.

According to Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas targeted Israeli forces in a tunnel within the Jabalia camp, resulting in all the soldiers being “killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.” Hamas also released footage showing a soldier being dragged along the ground, asserting the soldier was an Israeli captive. However, AFP could not immediately verify the authenticity of these images.

In response, the Israeli army issued a statement on Telegram, asserting, “there is no incident in which a soldier was abducted.”

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes and artillery launched strikes on Rafah on Saturday, disregarding an order from the top U.N. court to stop its military operations in the southern Gaza city.

Simultaneously, international efforts to secure a ceasefire were renewed, following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.