Abu Obaida, spokesman for Al-Qassam Brigades, a military wing of Hamas, said on Sunday that the movement’s fighters had killed 48 Israeli soldiers and hit 35 units of Israeli military equipment over the past four days.
“Over the past four days, Al-Qassam fighters managed to completely or partially destroy 35 military vehicles, and our fighters confirmed the death of 48 Zionist [Israeli] soldiers, and dozens more soldiers were injured,” Obaida said on Telegram.
On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, while its fighters breached the border, opening fire on the military and civilians. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza and launched a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 20,400 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of Israeli strikes, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1.
