Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, on Thursday issued a defiant statement vowing to resist the Israeli advance as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) intensified their operations in northern Gaza during the day, pushing further into Gaza City and launching fresh strikes across the enclave.
Residents in Gaza City reported that Israeli tanks were spotted in two areas leading toward the city center, while the Internet and phone services had been cut off by the Israeli military.
In recent days, Israeli forces have been carrying out heavy bombardments across multiple neighborhoods and pressing deeper into the central and western districts of the city.
Medical staff at Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital said they received at least 33 bodies on Thursday alone, all of them killed in Israeli airstrikes.
In a written statement in Hebrew released on the same day, the Al-Qassam Brigades warned that if Israel continues to expand its military operations, it will not be able to secure the release of any Israeli detainees. Gaza City will become a "graveyard" for Israeli soldiers, and the Al-Qassam Brigades will not hesitate to fight. Numerous armed personnel have been mobilized and are prepared to confront the Israeli forces, emphasizing that Israel is now embroiled in a "costly war of attrition."
Israeli captives now are dispersed across neighborhoods in Gaza City, according to the statement, and the Al-Qassam Brigades will not safeguard their lives as long as Netanyahu has decided to "kill them."
Hamas issues stern statement as Israeli military expands operations in Gaza
Hamas issues stern statement as Israeli military expands operations in Gaza
