Hamas claims killing of Israeli soldiers in Gaza City

Gaza: The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that they had killed and wounded several Israeli soldiers in an attack in Gaza City.

According to a press statement from the Al-Qassam Brigades on Monday, their members successfully targeted a group of ten Israeli soldiers with an anti-personnel bomb, resulting in casualties in the area.

The statement also noted that the brigades observed a helicopter landing for evacuation but did not provide further details about the incident, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a separate announcement, the brigades claimed they had targeted an Israeli armoured personnel carrier with a "Yassin 105" missile in the Tuwam area, north of Gaza City.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the incidents. However, public Israeli radio reported that military forces in Gaza faced significant security challenges and that helicopters were deployed to evacuate wounded soldiers.

The Al-Qassam Brigades also stated they targeted the Sderot area in Israel, along with military gatherings and operational centres east of Rafah city, using several Rajum short-range missiles with a 114-mm calibre. No casualties or damage were reported from these missile launches.

Earlier on Monday, the Al-Qassam Brigades declared their readiness for a protracted conflict against Israel in the Gaza Strip.

"We choose to continue a long and painful war of attrition against Israel," Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Ubaida said in a video statement marking the first anniversary of Hamas' October 7 assault on Israel. He emphasised that the ongoing battles have demonstrated the effectiveness of this strategy.

Ubaida claimed that Hamas has inflicted significant damage, saying, "On all fronts of combat and throughout Gaza, we have killed and targeted hundreds of soldiers, destroyed Israeli vehicles, and refined our tactics."

The northern Gaza Strip has been subjected to heavy Israeli air and artillery bombardment since Sunday, coinciding with the army's announcement of a ground operation in Jabalia, Gaza, aimed at Hamas.

The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, has entered its second year. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in nearly 42,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health officials.