A ‘mysterious’ figure with the Al-Qassam Brigades unit, who handed over Israeli and international captives, has ignited speculations in social media and throughout the Arab world.
It all began when an Al-Qassam fighter was comforting an Israeli child, who seemed in good health, while guiding him to a Red Cross vehicle at the Rafah crossing in Gaza on Friday.
The Israeli child did not seem scared, and the Al-Qassam fighter seemed particularly protective of the boy until he was lifted safely into the vehicle.
Social media users, however, noted that the eyes and the hands of the fighter are those of a woman, not a man.
Quickly, Arab media picked up the story, raising the question, of whether the fighter, who seemed to play a leadership role within the unit, was, in fact, a female.
Sputnik Arabic, for example, noted that that particular fighter remained mostly with the Israeli women and children.
Al-Qassam Brigades fighters guide Israeli civilians held in Gaza for 48 days, to Red Cross vehicles near the Rafah border before they were transported to Israel. pic.twitter.com/REWuzX5TFK
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 24, 2023
Others cited released Israeli captives who had earlier spoken about how they were constantly looked after by women, not men.
Al-Qassam Brigades is known to have a unit of women among its ranks, although the role of these women remains unclear.
نشميات عربيات.. هنا أشرف نساء العرب .. هنا مقاتلات القسام !!
كشفت مقاطع فيديو نشرتها #كتائب_القسام عن عملية الافراج عن بعض الأسيرات الاسرائيليات اليوم عن وجود مقاتلات فتيات ونساء بين المقاومين في #غزة .
وفي الصورة المرفقة مقاتلة من كتائب القسام لاحظ العينين واليدين.
وكانت شهادات… pic.twitter.com/Z83zFH5wY0— #هلا_قطر (@hlaqatar) November 24, 2023
If the ‘mysterious’ Qassam fighter was indeed a woman, this suggests that the Brigades’ women members are possibly involved in more than logistical support and perhaps outright combat and sensitive missions as well.
A social media user, @Hlaqatar, wrote, in Arabic, “Brave Arab women. This is the most decent of all Arab women, these are the female fighters of Al-Qassam.” Other social media users, including many women, shared that same sentiment.
While The Palestine Chronicle cannot confirm or deny that the fighter in reference was, indeed, a woman, that claim is likely to be true.
If Israeli captives are allowed to speak freely to the media, they are likely to substantiate the accuracy of the claim.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
