What Do We Know About Al-Qassam’s Elite Unit? A Promise of a Fierce Battle in Gaza

The latest battlefield footage released by the Al-Qassam Brigades has once again drawn attention to one of its most formidable forces — the Elite Unit. In scenes from operations against Israeli occupation forces advancing into Gaza City’s al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, a fighter appeared in his distinctive brown camouflage uniform, bearing the unit’s emblem, and spoke of steadfast readiness for battle.

The Elite Force of Al-Qassam

The Elite Unit of the Al-Qassam Brigades is among the most rigorously trained formations in the Palestinian resistance. Over the years, its fighters have undergone relentless preparation: mastering storming operations, close combat, and the capture of Israeli soldiers — along with advanced methods of handling captives on the battlefield.

Since the Brigades’ inception in the late 1980s, the name Al-Qassam has been tied to specialised resistance operations. This required carefully selecting its members, as they operated under the harshest conditions across occupied Palestine — facing an enemy equipped with vast military, intelligence, and surveillance capabilities.

In its early years, the Elite Unit focused on two main fronts:

1. Capturing Israeli soldiers and settlers to secure prisoner exchanges — as seen in landmark operations involving Ilan Saadon, Avi Sasportas, Nachshon Wachsman, and Nissim Toledano.
2. Swift strike-and-withdraw attacks on soft targets such as patrols and foot soldiers, exemplified by the operations led by the martyred Imad Aqel and his small but highly effective cells.

With the eruption of the Second Intifada, the unit evolved. Resistance shifted from rifles and ambushes to storming fortified positions and settlements, particularly in Gaza, as Israel escalated its use of tanks and armoured vehicles. By the early 2000s, the Elite transformed into larger, more structured battalions — highly equipped, well-trained, and far more organised than the smaller cells of the First Intifada.

Selection: How Fighters Are Chosen

Al-Qassam’s published military guidelines outline strict criteria for recruiting members into the Elite: deep religious commitment, uncompromising security integrity, and peak physical fitness.

Recruitment is conducted in utmost secrecy — often hidden even from family members — to deny Israel the chance to gather intelligence or place fighters under surveillance. This secrecy has left the occupation in a state of intelligence blindness, ensuring the unit’s ability to move undetected.

Elite fighters undergo training beyond the level of standard brigades. Their programs mirror those of special forces in conventional armies: extreme endurance exercises, advanced weapons proficiency, and psychological resilience.

Key areas of focus include:

• Anti-armour tactics — evident in the precise and rapid targeting of Israeli tanks and personnel carriers in the current war on Gaza.
• Ambush design and execution — teaching fighters how to lure enemy forces into deadly traps, a hallmark of special forces warfare.

These methods have been repeatedly displayed in Al-Qassam’s released footage, highlighting the tactical discipline and battlefield ingenuity of its Elite fighters.

Behind Enemy Lines

While the unit has participated in every major Israeli assault on Gaza since 2008, it was the 2014 war that cemented its reputation as Israel’s nightmare force.

The Elite executed tunnel infiltration operations, breaching the separation barrier into occupied territories and storming multiple Israeli military outposts. Surprise raids inflicted heavy casualties and shattered the illusion of Israel’s military superiority.

Among the most notable operations were:

• The Abu Mutaybiq Base raid, where seven Israeli soldiers were killed and all Palestinian fighters returned safely, emerging defiantly above ground under the gaze of Israeli military cameras.
• The Zikim naval base assault, where Qassam naval commandos (frogmen) penetrated the base and fought a fierce battle before achieving martyrdom.

In addition, the Elite Unit has consistently held advanced positions along Gaza’s perimeters, thwarting infiltration attempts. One of the most famous encounters took place in Khan Younis, where Al-Qassam’s Elite exposed and confronted Israel’s Sayeret Matkal — the so-called “chief of staff elite” — who had infiltrated Gaza to plant advanced spying devices. The clash not only foiled the mission but also humiliated Israel’s most prestigious special unit.

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Conclusion

The Al-Qassam Elite Unit is more than just a military formation; it is the embodiment of discipline, secrecy, and resilience. From capturing soldiers in the 1990s to storming Israeli bases in 2014, and from precision anti-tank strikes to modern ambushes, this unit has become the sharp edge of Palestinian resistance.

As Gaza faces yet another devastating war, the Elite Unit’s promise of a “difficult battle” for the occupation carries weight. Its history has shown that when Al-Qassam’s Elite enters the field, Israel’s soldiers are forced to reckon not with numbers, but with determination, strategy, and a resistance rooted in faith and sacrifice.