Hamas on Sunday asserted that Israeli special forces involved in a botched operation in the Gaza Strip on Nov. 11 used the identification papers of actual Palestinians to pose as medical personnel.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Britain's Independent newspaper that fake IDs were discovered in the Israelis' wrecked vehicle after the clash between them and Hamas operatives 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) inside Gaza, near Khan Yunis.
The clash ensued after Hamas operatives became suspicious of the vehicle. A fierce gunfight erupted, and the Israeli troops radioed for aerial assistance, which arrived within minutes, enabling their extraction. An elite IDF officer, identified only as Lt. Col. M., was killed in the clash, and seven Hamas operatives were also killed, including two regional commanders, Nour Baraka and Mohammad al-Qarra.
The mission was confirmed by the IDF as part of "operational activity" in Gaza.
Once the botched operation became public, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued an unusual statement, clarifying that it was not an attempted assassination but an intelligence-gathering mission that went awry, and asking the public "to refrain from spreading unsubstantiated rumors."
Qassem told the Independent that Hamas personnel had questioned all the Gaza residents whose identities had reportedly been used on the documents and a number of them had been taken into custody. Qassem said that as far as he knew, the detainees had all been released because Hamas had determined that they had no knowledge that their identities had been stolen.
Qassem also denied reports by Palestinian and Israeli news outlets that the special forces had managed to set up an NGO front that was active in Gaza. The Independent quoted another Hamas official who said he thought the purpose of the mission had been to replace surveillance devices.
The raid caused an escalation in ongoing tensions between Israel and Gaza. In the worst onslaught from Hamas since Operative Protective Edge in 2014, Hamas fired hundreds of rockets at Israel, killing one civilian and wounding 55 others.
The development shattered what appeared to be a turning point after months of Palestinian border riots and arson terrorism. Prior to the flare-up, an Egyptian-brokered lull appeared to be holding.
