Israeli Soldier Captured before Start of Cease-Fire: Hamas Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A Hamas official said the Palestinian resistance forces were able to capture an Israeli soldier on Friday before the announced cease-fire came into effect this morning.
Speaking to Sky News Arabia, Moussa Abu Marzouk rejected Israeli army commanders’ claims that the incident was the reason for the collapse of the recent cease-fire.
He underlined that the soldier was nabbed by the resistance movement forces before the truce took effect at 5:00 GMT on Friday.
Meantime, Tel Aviv accused Hamas and other Palestinian groups of violating the US- and UN-mediated truce by capturing the soldier in eastern Rafah. Abu Marzouk’s statement puts the blame for breaking the cease-fire on the Zionist regime of Israel.
The fighting broke out again less than two hours after the truce started.
Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip since July 8. Israeli forces also began a ground offensive against the impoverished Palestinian land on July 17.
More than 1,450 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed and thousands of others injured by Israel’s offensive.
