Israel Claims Hamas Security Chief Captured Amid Conflicting Reports from Gaza

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asserted that Israeli forces had apprehended a high-ranking Hamas official within the Gaza Strip moments prior. Gallant further issued a warning, stating that Israel’s response to any gunfire from Gaza would be “strong and clear” and that the military operations in the region would persist.

The Israeli Defense Minister claimed that 70% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed, rendered devoid of tunnels or infrastructure, and is now under full Israeli control. Concurrently, Israel’s Channel 12, citing unspecified sources, reported the detention of the head of Hamas’s internal security organization in Gaza. An Israeli security source also claimed that the apprehended Hamas official was wounded during the operation and transferred to Israel.

However, a security source in Gaza speaking to Al Jazeera vehemently denied the occupation forces’ claims regarding the arrest of Hamas’s internal security chief. This source stated that Israeli special forces had abducted one of the officers of Gaza’s internal security organization after raiding his home and martyring his wife, emphasizing that the head of internal security had not been kidnapped. The source added that the occupation forces utilized covering fire to withdraw after clashes between resistance elements and the special forces. During the confrontations between resistance forces and Israeli soldiers, a number of civilians were martyred and others were injured.