GAZA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said on Sunday that they have recruited thousands of new fighters during the ongoing war with Israel since October 2023, with more ready to join if necessary.
In a recorded video statement, Abu Obaida, spokesperson for Al-Qassam, said the brigades managed to "recruit thousands of new fighters from the support ranks during the war, and thousands more are prepared to join when needed."
"The human capabilities of the Al-Qassam Brigades are in excellent shape, and our fighters' ability to fight and endure has become stronger and greater," Obaida said.
He said the 24 brigades of Al-Qassam are "engaged in the battle from the far north to the far south of the Gaza Strip, alongside the 'brothers in arms and jihad' from other resistance factions."
The Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza have enhanced their defensive capabilities and recycled Israeli army munitions and rockets, he added.
On Sunday, The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that operational activities continue throughout the Gaza Strip.
"The Hamas terrorist organization operates from within the humanitarian area and systematically violates international law, exploiting civilian structures and population as human shields for its terror attacks against the State of Israel," it said.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators, along with the United States, are working to achieve a prisoner exchange deal and a second truce between Israel and Hamas, following the first truce that lasted a week until early December.
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 55 people and wounded 123 others, bringing the total death toll to 38,153 and injuries to 87,828 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Sunday. ■
