TEL AVIV, December 9. /TASS/. Israeli soldiers see that armed supporters of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas are beginning to surrender more often in the Gaza Strip, so more than 200 radicals have been detained over the past 48 hours, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
"We are destroying a high number of terrorists and we see more and more terrorists surrender during the battle, and surrender to our troops. Over the past 48 hours, we have apprehended more than 200 suspects, and dozens of them have been handed over to Unit 504 of the Intelligence Corps and the Internal Security Service to be investigated in Israel," he said during an evening briefing.
Hagari pointed out that among the detainees are commanders of units of Hamas’ armed group and members of the radicals’ special forces unit Nukhba.
"The investigation into their [activities] facilitates the ongoing operations of [Israeli] forces on the battlefield," the IDF spokesman added.
Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, when many Israelis living in the settlements near the border were killed and over 200 people, including children, women and the elderly, were taken hostage. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.