Captured Footage Allegedly Reveals Hamas Operative Planting Explosive on Israeli Tank and Firing Upon It

Hamas has released footage purportedly showing the destruction of an Israeli tank by their guerrilla-style tactics in Gaza. The video, which was released on Thursday, depicts a fighter placing an explosive on one of the tanks before firing a rocket-propelled grenade from behind cover. A brief burst of flame is seen in the distance, indicating that the tank has been struck. In a second clip, a fighter is shown picking up pieces of metal debris, claimed to be the remains of the tank. The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified, and the IDF declined to comment on it. This video is one of several released by the Al-Qassam Brigade, the Hamas wing responsible for the mass assault on October 7. Both Hamas and Al-Qassam are designated as terrorist organizations by multiple countries. According to commentary attached to the video, the fighter targeted the tank with an Al-Yassin-105 shell in Gaza’s Al-Zaytoun neighborhood. The IDF announced on Wednesday that it had killed Muhammad A’sar, the head of Hamas’ anti-tank missile unit, in an airstrike. Israel’s troops have reportedly moved two miles into Gaza, with the IDF stating that it lost 16 fighters in the ground operation. Hamas claims to have destroyed several tanks in Gaza since then. The release of the footage comes as analysts predict that Israel’s fight in Gaza, which has resulted in significant civilian destruction, will be a slow and difficult offensive.