Hamas employing ISIS tactics to capture Israeli citizens: Former IDF spokesperson

Hamas is using ISIS tactics to dash into Israeli communities and take captives back, said a former Israel Defence Forces spokesperson on the land attacks by the Palestinian terror group into southern Israel. “At least five different communities were attacked on the ground by terrorists. They were in pickup trucks, much like ISIS uses,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus.

#WATCH | On Hamas terrorists' attack on Israel, former Spokesperson of Israel Defence Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus says "What I understand, and this is still unconfirmed information, is that Hamas breached the border and crossed into Israel from various locations… pic.twitter.com/JDOHECN4wc

— ANI (@ANI) October 7, 2023

Hamas on Saturday morning launched an aerial attack on Israel followed by infiltration into the Israeli communities near the border with Gaza. Visuals doing rounds on social media show armed men on pickup trucks dashing through the border fences. Some videos also show Israeli captured citizens on the trucks. The Hamas have claimed to have taken 35 Israelis captive in Gaza. “What I understand, and this is still unconfirmed information, is that Hamas breached the border and crossed into Israel from various locations and conducted coordinated attacks against multiple targets, multiple communities close to the border. At least five different communities were attacked on the ground by terrorists.” “I have seen footage of motorcycles and other terrain vehicles and even of gliders coming in from the air. There are reports of assaults from the sea as well. So this is a multidimensional attack, ground, air, sea that Hamas has staged against Israel, and they are using the vehicles in order to take back bodies, whether dead or alive, of Israeli civilians….” He warned that the incursion into Israel into would warrant a strong response from Israel. “I cannot stress enough how unprecedented these attacks are, the magnitude, the audacity of these terrorists in their actions against Israel. This will generate a fierce response from the state of Israel, which I think will not be confined to the geographical area of Gaza alone.” Israel declared a state of war on Hamas as soon as reports of a full-blown attack emerged. The Israel Defence Forces launched the operation ‘Swords of Iron’ to fight the surprise attack.