Special undercover IDF commandos have captured a senior commander in Hamas's military wing in the southern Gaza Strip, sources in group said on Saturday.
Mohawah al-Qadi, a senior member of the organization's armed wing and a commander in the Executive Force, was nabbed late Friday by undercover troops in the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
"A special Zionist force wearing Executive Force uniform entered George street in eastern Rafah in a civilian Subaru car and 0then headed towards the Sufa crossing" with Israel, Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
IDF officials had no immediate comment.
Al-Qadi, arrested together with his assistant Saqer Abd al-Al, was "responsible for the Executive Force public relations," the group said.
At first Hamas officials thought the man was taken by Fatah loyalists on the background of clashes taking place between loyalists of the two groups in Gaza since Friday morning. Only when the Subaru car carrying the detainee exited the Gaza Strip accompanied by helicopters they realized he was taken by IDF troops masquerading as Arabs.
According to another report quoted by Israel Radio, the car travelled to Dahaniyeh airport in Gaza and an IAF chopper took the man from there.
Palestinian sources also said the man was somehow connected with the kidnapping of IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit in June 2006.
While the IDF regularly carries out ground and air raids across the Gaza Strip to curb incessant Kassam rocket fire, the operation Friday was especially daring, undertaken two kilometers inside the Gaza Strip in an area saturated with Hamas gunmen and watchmen.
Mohawah al-Qadi, a senior member of the organization's armed wing and a commander in the Executive Force, was nabbed late Friday by undercover troops in the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
"A special Zionist force wearing Executive Force uniform entered George street in eastern Rafah in a civilian Subaru car and 0then headed towards the Sufa crossing" with Israel, Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
IDF officials had no immediate comment.
Al-Qadi, arrested together with his assistant Saqer Abd al-Al, was "responsible for the Executive Force public relations," the group said.
At first Hamas officials thought the man was taken by Fatah loyalists on the background of clashes taking place between loyalists of the two groups in Gaza since Friday morning. Only when the Subaru car carrying the detainee exited the Gaza Strip accompanied by helicopters they realized he was taken by IDF troops masquerading as Arabs.
According to another report quoted by Israel Radio, the car travelled to Dahaniyeh airport in Gaza and an IAF chopper took the man from there.
Palestinian sources also said the man was somehow connected with the kidnapping of IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit in June 2006.
While the IDF regularly carries out ground and air raids across the Gaza Strip to curb incessant Kassam rocket fire, the operation Friday was especially daring, undertaken two kilometers inside the Gaza Strip in an area saturated with Hamas gunmen and watchmen.
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