Hamas claims it has more information about a botched November Israeli special forces raid, offering a major reward to anyone who can identify those responsible for it.
By Associated Press and World Israel News
A spokesman for Palestinian terror group Hamas issued official comments related to an Israeli intelligence mission that went awry, claiming that Israel aimed to install devices to monitor Hamas’ communications.
In a televised statement Saturday, Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida claimed that a 15-member undercover force infiltrated Gaza under the cover of fog, planning to install telecom equipment to wiretap Hamas’ landline communications network.
He showed still images of tools, including drills and machine saws, but provided no further supporting evidence.
The botched raid in November sparked the heaviest cross-border violence between Israel and Gaza terrorists since the 2014 war.
At a checkpoint, Hamas members stopped the undercover Israeli force in a civilian car, after which they reportedly showed falsified documents and presented themselves as employees of an aid agency.
What happened next is unclear, but a shootout ensued in which two terrorists were killed, in addition to an undercover Israeli officer.
Times of Israel reported that the terror group offered a $1 million “reward” for information exposing the identities of the special forces team.