Hamas-Led Joint Military Drill In Gaza Simulates Kidnapping IDF Soldiers, Attacking Israeli Military Positions, Vehicles; Fighters Pledge To Liberate Prisoners

On December 29, 2021, Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) aired a report about a Hamas-led joint military drill named "Al-Rukn Al-Shadid 2." In the drill, which included various armed factions in Gaza, forces simulated kidnapping Israeli soldiers and attacking Israeli military positions and vehicles. Khaled Mansour, a commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing, the Jerusalem Brigades, said that the score has not yet been settled with the Israeli. Muhammad Abu Nasira, the General Commander of the Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades said that this drill is intended to prepare for a "war of liberation." In addition, a group of armed fighters pledged to return all the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel., said that the resistance factions have put the issue of the Palestinian prisoners at the top of their priorities.

Journalist: "This drill simulated attacking Israeli military positions, targeting the vehicles of the Israeli army, as well as kidnapping Israeli soldiers, so that the drill resembles a real battle."

Abu Ahmad Nawfal: "This is a message to our prisoners – Allah willing, we will not abandon them. Your brothers in the joint operations room placed the issue of the prisoners on top of the list of priorities of the joint operations room and the resistance factions."

Journalist: "The drills simulated various scenarios, with the military wings of various factions training side-by-side for the first time since the latest Israeli war against the [Gaza] Strip. The military wings of the Palestinian factions say that they strive to raise the level of competence among their fighters, in light of the escalation of the Israeli threats against the Gaza Strip."

Khaled Mansour: "We have not settled the score with the Israeli army yet. We still have prisoners, we still have the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and we still have occupied land. Allah willing, this is a firm step on the road to liberation and resistance."

Journalist: "The expansion in military exercises on both sides of the border of the Gaza Strip portends a further escalation of the situation, in light of the Palestinian factions' accusations against Israel of stopping the reconstruction [in the Gaza Strip] and delaying the easing of the siege."

[...]

Soldiers: "Hear, oh prisoners!"

Man: "We will bring you home!"

Soldiers: "We will bring you home!"

Man: "We will not leave a single prisoner behind!"

Soldiers: "We will not leave a single prisoner behind!"

Muhammad Abu Nasira: "The message of resistance and the joint operations room to the Zionist enemy is a clear one – We will never give up our land. We are making preparations against them. We are making preparations for the liberation of our plundered land. This is the reason for the live-fire drill that you have just witnessed. It is a drill that is meant to prepare for the war of liberation, Allah willing."

[...]

Journalist 2: "Some of the armed factions that took part in the drill say that they now resemble regular armies, thanks to the various fields of expertise that they now possess, and their united command. The military leaders of these united commands assert that some day they might constitute the nucleus of what they call 'an army of liberation.' "