Al-Qassam publishes Death or Capture message; Israel believes four soldiers were captured in Zaytoun neighborhood

The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas in Gaza, posted an image bearing the phrase: “We remind those who forget… death or capture,” referring to a precision operation against Israeli forces in the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood east of Gaza City.

Hebrew media reported that one Israeli soldier was killed and 11 others wounded in an ambush carried out by the militants in the neighbourhood, and said military censorship imposed a publication ban on details relating to four soldiers suspected to be missing amid suggestions they may have been captured.

According to Israeli sources, direct clashes are unfolding between al-Qassam fighters and Israeli forces using machine guns in al-Zaytoun, while Israeli forces fired flares extensively, concurrent with air strikes targeting sites near the area.

They also reported that an Israeli soldier said he heard voices over the radios that had been with the missing soldiers. Six military helicopters sent to evacuate the Israeli unit came under heavy fire, the accounts said.

Reports added that a large number of al-Qassam fighters took part in the attack, carrying out well-prepared ambushes against an Israeli force in al-Zaytoun and targeting fortified positions. Israeli channels described the incident as one of the toughest the Israeli army has faced since Oct. 7, 2023.