JERUSALEM
The Israeli army denied on Thursday that a group of militants had successfully infiltrated Israel and returned home safely as announced by Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
"Hamas says all its saboteurs returned safely to Gaza, and claims that its operation was successful," Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israeli military, tweeted.
"Hamas statement, in which it claimed responsibility for this failed operation, is laughable because this video shows its fake rhetoric," he added.
Adraee attached a link to a video showing a group of people creeping towards what seems to be the opening of an underground tunnel.
Later, the site is shown being blown up.
Al-Qassam Brigades insisted earlier Thursday that a group of its fighters had staged an infiltration into Sufa area in southern Israel, and carried out their mission before coming under Israeli fire.
"All members returned safely," the group said in a statement.
Israel's Channel 2 and Israel radio had claimed earlier that eight out of 13 Hamas infiltrators had been killed by Israeli forces.
The developments came as a U.N.-proposed five-hour humanitarian ceasefire between the Palestinian factions and Israel came into force.
Since July 7, Israeli warplanes have pounded the Gaza Strip with the ostensible aim of ending Palestinian rocket fire from the besieged coastal enclave.
At least 227 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed so far – and more than 1700 injured, many seriously – in the unrelenting airstrikes.
Gaza-based resistance factions, of which Hamas is the most prominent, have continued to fire rockets at Israel – some of which have reached Tel Aviv – in response.
One Israeli has been killed as a result of rocket fire from Gaza.
The ongoing military operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is Israel's third major offensive against the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.
By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout
www.aa.com.tr/en
