Abu Marzouk clarifies: Israel notified UN about missing soldier

Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, member of Hamas political bureau, said the Israeli occupation authorities have officially updated the UN on the disappearance of a soldier and the death of number of others in a Hamas operation in Rafah before the ceasefire went into effect.

Israeli media sources and reports claimed the disappearance of the solider east of Rafah is “a very tough” incident.

Search campaigns have been carried out by the Israeli occupation army allegedly for seeking out the missing soldier, claiming the latter was probably captured in Rafah.

Abu Marzouk said that the UN had updated Egypt on the incident in its capacity as the mediator in the ceasefire bids.

Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing, have denied having any knowledge about the missing soldier’s whereabouts , saying the latter most probably died in the Israeli heavy shelling on Rafah.

Al-Qassam Brigades declared in a statement issued early Saturday morning after a close examination of the incident:

“First: The Israeli occupation has exploited the ceasefire talks and carried out an overnight incursion into east of Rafah. Our fighters clashed with the invading Israeli soldiers at around 7 a.m. Friday, one hour before the scheduled ceasefire bid was expected to be put into effect. The Israeli fighting jets and artillery unleashed heavy fire on Palestinian civilians at 10 a.m., in a flagrant infringement to the terms of the truce under the pretext that a soldier has gone missing.”

“Second: We lost contact with the group of fighters who were present at the scene. We believe that all the members of this fighting group were killed in the Israeli strike along with the missing soldier if that group had really captured him.”

“Third: We, al-Qassam Brigades, have no information, whatsoever, about the issue of the missing Israeli soldier.”

“Fourth: We informed the mediators of the brokered humanitarian ceasefire that we cannot stop firing at advancing Israeli troops that have been moving into the Strip round-the-clock. Such incursions will inevitably trigger clashes.”