Military ‘Parade’? Hamas’ Latest Video Challenges Israeli Claims in Gaza – ANALYSIS

November 26, 2023 Articles, Features
The third batch of Israeli captives was released in Gaza City. (Photo: video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Editors

The first two batches of Israeli captives released took place in southern Gaza. The third batch, however, was released in Gaza City.

The first two batches of Israeli captives released by Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, took place in southern Gaza.

They were released in two consecutive days, Friday and Saturday, and included Israeli women and children, along with a number of international workers. 

The third batch, however, was released in Gaza City, specifically in eastern Gaza.

Moreover, the operation this time was far more smooth than the first two. 

A video shared by Al-Qassam Brigades showed a relatively large number of Al-Qassam fighters, operating at ease while surrounded by a large crowd of cheering Palestinians. 

And, unlike the first two videos, which were shot from a close distance, this video was shot from a longer distance, relying mostly on pan shots. 

It did not include any close-ups and merely showed the fighters delivering the captives to Red Cross workers, before slowly getting back into their vehicles and riding away. 

The video was loaded with meanings. 

Operational Control? 

Since the beginning of the war, there were those in Israel who doubted the value of Israel’s military operation, the airstrikes, and the ground incursions. 

There were only a few, then, but their voices appeared stronger in recent days, suggesting that Hamas has not lost much of its military power and resources.

But most of those discussions seemed confined to southern Gaza, which is yet to be invaded by the Israeli army.

Northern Gaza was a different story.

On November 8, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that “Hamas has lost control and is continuing to lose control in the north”, and that its military presence there was merely dedicated to combing the area from Hamas fighters. 

Al-Qassam Brigades did not respond in terms of a political shouting match but through well-produced videos documenting Israeli military vehicles and soldiers being blown up or taken down one after the other.

Still, the Israelis insisted that they have total control, or at least ‘operational control’ over northern Gaza. 

Then, the third batch of the prisoner swap took place, and Hamas released a video demonstrating that Israel has no form of control, operational or otherwise, over much of Gaza City. 

But why eastern Gaza in particular? 

From the early days of the war, Israel has dismissed the significance of east Gaza, suggesting that the Resistance could not possibly hold captives so close to the Israeli border.

Today’s video demonstrates that this assumption was also untrue. The release of the captives in that specific place, with little secrecy, and amid a large crowd of cheering Palestinians, challenged all Israeli claims regarding the success of their military operation in the north. 

Equally important, is that the video demonstrates that Hamas is still able to control the narrative on the war, as much as it is able to control the reality on the battlefield as well. 

None of this was random, of course, as demonstrated in this statement by the Resistance News Network on Telegram shortly after the release of the video. 

“In an unexpected move which undermined the Zionist intelligence apparatus, Al-Qassam Brigades released the third round of captives in the middle of Gaza City – where the occupation has claimed ‘operational control,” the statement read. 

“A Resistance military exhibition (meaning parade) was held there coinciding with the release,” it added.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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3 Comments

  1. None of this was random, of course, as demonstrated in this statement by the Resistance News Network on Telegram shortly after the release of the video.

    Can you send a link to their telegram channel? Please and thank you

  2. It would be very useful to see any reports from the hostages given back to Israel. I’m thinking about what they experienced when they were taken, how they were taken to Gaza, how they were treated and whether they were in the zones attacked by the IDF.
    I realise publicising some information may be harmful to the resistance but something would be useful.
    Thanks for your reporting.

  3. How can IDF take control of gaza city when they have lost more than 130 armor vehicles including tanks to hamas ? Its absurd to make such a claim.

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