The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military-terrorist wing, issued the following statement on Sunday night following reports of the shooting incident in southern Gaza.
"A special force of the Zionist enemy infiltrated using a civilian car in the area of the Shahid Ismail Abu Shanab mosque, 3 km east of Khan Younis. This force killed the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Nur Barakeh. After they were exposed and our mujahideen persecuted them and reached contact with them, the enemy’s air force intervened and carried out attacks to cover the retreat of this force, and in the process some of our people were killed. The incident continues and our forces continue to respond to this dangerous Zionist aggression," said the statement.