Israeli media criticises army after Hamas clip shows soldier kidnapping attempt
Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades released a video on Thursday showing Palestinian fighters killing an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip and seizing his weapons, reportedly after deciding not to abduct him.
The footage appears to contradict the Israeli military’s official account of the incident and has drawn criticism in local media.
Commentators accused the army of failing to adequately protect its soldiers on the ground and repeating the same mistakes agaisnt Hamas fighters.
In the video, Hamas fighters are seen targeting an Israeli bulldozer with a locally made anti-armour missile in the Abasan al-Kabira area, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Israeli reserve soldier Avraham Azulay is shown jumping out of the bulldozer following the strike. Later in the footage, he is seen lying on the ground near Hamas fighters, who appear to seize his weapon before withdrawing from the scene.
Following Wednesday’s raid, Hamas said its fighters “attempted to capture one of the soldiers, but due to battlefield conditions, this was not possible, so they neutralised him and seized his weapon".
The Israeli military, in contrast, stated that its initial investigation found that Hamas fighters had emerged from a tunnel, attacked Israeli forces, and attempted to abduct Azulay.
Read more: Israeli media criticises army after Hamas clip shows soldier kidnapping attempt
