Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem was seriously wounded and his bodyguard killed in a vehicle strike in Gaza City, which Gazan sources describe as an assassination attempt. Qassem was transferred to Shifa Hospital, according to the reports.
Gazan sources now confirm that the target of Thursday evening's vehicle strike at the Al-Abbas junction in Gaza City was Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, who was seriously wounded, according to the latest reports. His bodyguard was killed in the attack. Qassem was taken to Shifa Hospital for treatment. This confirmation comes after a series of reports from the same evening, each adding new details.
The Zioneer first reported the strike at 18:19 Jerusalem, citing initial Palestinian sources that Qassem was seriously wounded. Minutes later, video footage of the strike emerged. Subsequently, N12 relayed Gazan sources, and then Israeli journalist Sapir Lipkin confirmed the casualty details, citing sources in Gaza. The information has thus evolved from a single Palestinian source to multiple unverified reports from both Gazan and Israeli channels.
The strike at Al-Abbas junction is not the first in that area. As The Zioneer reported earlier on Thursday, a vehicle strike at the same junction killed Hamas operative Muhammad al-Fayoumi. This suggests a pattern of targeted strikes in the area, though the IDF has not commented on the nature of the operations.
What remains open: The IDF has not confirmed or commented on the strike. The reports are based on sources in Gaza and an Israeli journalist, but have not been independently verified by official Israeli or international bodies. The precise condition of Hazem Qassem remains unconfirmed.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake