The Al-Qassam Brigades, along with other Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza, handed over the bodies of four Israeli captives in a massive public ceremony in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Similar to previous handover ceremonies, Al-Qassam was keen to send multiple messages through banners, visuals, and key figures present at the event.
For the first time, the bodies of four captives—killed in prior Israeli airstrikes—were returned. Arabi21 has identified the six key messages conveyed by Al-Qassam during the handover, which took place at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Bani Suhaila, Khan Younis.
1. Netanyahu as a ‘Bloodsucker’
The Palestinian resistance prominently displayed an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a blood-sucking vampire on the main platform of the event. Accompanying the image was a bold statement:
“They were killed by war criminal Netanyahu with airstrike missiles.”
Additionally, another clear warning was issued:
“Resuming the war = captives returning in coffins.”
This message came at a time when Netanyahu faces mounting pressure from the families of Israeli captives, who hold him responsible for their deaths in Gaza and for the delay in securing the release of the remaining captives.
2. The Reappearance of Osama Tabash
Sources from Al-Qassam reported that the handover ceremony was attended by several commanders, including Osama Tabash, the Eastern Battalion Commander, whom Israel had claimed to have assassinated in September.
This is not the first time that a Palestinian commander has reappeared after Israel officially announced his assassination.
Tabash, known as Abu Ali, holds significant symbolic importance, as he was one of the key figures who helped expose an Israeli special forces unit that infiltrated Khan Younis in November 2018. He later handed over the weapon of an Israeli officer to martyr Yahya Sinwar during a Hamas rally.
3. Presence of Freed Prisoners
A striking aspect of the handover was the presence of several Palestinian prisoners recently freed in prisoner exchange deals between the resistance and the Israeli occupation.
Among them was Al-Qassam leader Mohammad Abu Warda, who Israel accuses of orchestrating operations that led to the deaths of 45 Israelis. His presence caused outrage in Israeli media, as Abu Warda was among those whom Israel had intended to deport from Gaza but was instead released back into the Strip.
4. Participation of Multiple Resistance Factions
Thursday’s ceremony marked the largest representation of Palestinian factions since the beginning of the handover operations a month ago. Fighters from various Palestinian resistance groups participated, including:
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- Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)
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- Al-Quds Brigades (Islamic Jihad)
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- Al-Mujahideen Brigades
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- Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – PFLP)
Previous ceremonies had also witnessed the participation of Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades and Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades.
5. Al-Qassam’s Symbolic Hashtags
Al-Qassam fighters raised several banners designed as hashtags, many of them carried by fighters who had lost limbs in battle.
One of the most prominent slogans was:
“The Day After = The Flood.”
Other slogans referenced units involved in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, including:
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- “8200 Site Group” – a unit involved in one of the most notable operations.
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- “Al-Abrar Ambush” and “Al-Farahin Ambush” – referring to deadly traps set for Israeli forces in Khan Younis during the ground assault.
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- “Al-Zannah Ambush” – led by martyr Salem Al-Dardisi, whose parents were present at the ceremony.
A banner reading:
“The Al-Farahin Ambush is not a walk in the park… but a furnace.”
highlighted two devastating ambushes set by Al-Qassam for Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis.
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- The first ambush (Feb 12, 2024): Resulted in the killing of the commander of the 630th Reserve Battalion, the deputy company commander, and a soldier, along with multiple injuries.
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- The second ambush (Aug 5, 2024): Led to the complete elimination of an entire Israeli force.
6. The Cemetery’s Symbolic Message
By choosing the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Bani Suhaila as the location for the handover, Al-Qassam sent a powerful message:
Israel’s intelligence and military capabilities have failed.
Despite Israel’s months-long ground invasion in Bani Suhaila, where it claimed to have fully swept the area—including cemeteries—Israeli forces failed to locate their own captives.
The cemetery’s symbolic significance underlines the Israeli occupation’s intelligence failure, reinforcing the resistance’s ability to outmaneuver the enemy, even under the most intense military pressure.
