Hamas: Ready for Long War of Attrition As ‘Israel’ Pushes Rafah Invasion

“Despite our full desire to stop the aggression against our people, we are prepared for a long battle of attrition against the enemy, dragging them into a swamp where they will gain nothing but the death of their soldiers and the capture of their officers,” Abu Obeida said in a video message.

He further stated that “This is because we are the people of this land and are its rightful owners,” amid raging battles in Gaza as Israel intensifies its ground invasion of Rafah despite international concerns for the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the southern city.

Abu Obeida said Palestinian fighters have targeted 100 “Israeli” military vehicles, including tanks, armored personnel carriers as well as bulldozers in Rafah in the past 10 days.

They have inflicted heavy casualties on “Israeli” soldiers by blowing up tunnels, launching rockets and mortars, and through sniping and close-quarters combat.

“The ‘Israeli’ military,” he clarified, does not announce the exact figure of its losses in Gaza, pointing out that “Al-Qassam Brigades fighters inflicted severe blows on the Zionist enemy in the eastern flank of Rafah city.”

He underlined that the “Israeli” military had made a big mistake by deciding to launch a ground invasion of Rafah, the Zaitoun neighborhood, and Jabalia refugee camp, rendering its troops easy targets for Palestinian fighters.

“The ‘Israelis’,” he said, “thought that if they spent seven months burning everything to the ground, they would face little resistance, but they were surprised to find that they were once again in hell, facing fiercer resistance than before.”

In his Friday night message, Abu Obeida said, “Despite the war of starvation, destruction, and killing, our resistance, and behind it our people, are coming out to face the enemy from everywhere.”

“Our fighters are confronting the enemy with great momentum ... blowing up buildings, tunnel openings, and minefields,” he stressed, noting that “Our fighters face a trembling, floundering force, and leave it broken and disappointed," while "the American weapons build to exterminate our people cause enormous destruction, which is the only achievement of this crisis-stricken enemy.”

Abu Obeida praised the resistance and the Palestinian people who, he said, are still on their feet after more than 220 days of “Israeli” aggression, fighting fiercely and standing unflinchingly in the face of Israel.

“The ‘Israeli’ occupation,” Abu Obeida said, “would find the resistance standing in its face every time it aspired to reach a goal or achievement and prevent it from achieving victory.”