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Nukhba forces

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This article is about Palestinian special forces unit. For other military units, see Nukhba (disambiguation).

Nukhba forces
قوات النخبة
Also known asAl-Nukhba
Leaders
Dates of operation2010 – present
Country Palestine
Allegiance Hamas
HeadquartersGaza Strip
Active regions Palestine
 Israel
IdeologyPalestinian self-determination
Palestinian nationalism
Anti-Zionism
Islamism
Part ofIzz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Opponents Israel
Battles and wars

The Nukhba forces (Hebrew: נוח'בה, romanized: Nukhba, Arabic: نخبة, lit. 'elite'), Nukhba Force[1] or just (Al-)Nukhba are a special forces unit of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.[2] The word "Nukhba" is used by Israelis (in Hebrew and English) to refer to Hamas militants.[3] In 2024 the usage of the word in Israel roughly corresponds to "Hamas militant" or "Hamas commando".[4][3]

Israel claims the unit led the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, at the beginning of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[5]

Training

Nukhba members begin their long and rigorous land and sea-based training when they are 18 to 20 years old, and may be recruited from fishermen.[6]

History

Their units sustained losses in the 2014 Gaza War. In 2015, they were being trained and equipped in Iran.[verification needed][7]

In 2017, some of its members defected to join ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula.[2][8] That same year a Hamas government border guard at Rafah crossing was killed by an ISIS suicide bomber.[9]

2023 Israel–Hamas war

Main article: 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Response to October 7 attacks

On October 7, Hamas forces invaded Israel.[10][11] The attacks killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, including nearly 700 Israeli civilians.[12][13] But the numbers originally given by Israeli sources were highe, on 12 October 2023, the Jerusalem Post said there were "more than 1,400 Israelis murdered" and said Shin Bet had set up a new unit called Nili – an abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase Netzach Yisrael Lo Yeshaker (transl. The Eternity of Israel Will Not Lie) – tasked with hunting down Nukhba members.[14] They reported, "This force was specifically set up to target members of a special commando unit within Hamas's military wing called Nukhba ("elite")".[14]

According to an IDF spokesman, the Israeli air force have been specifically targeting Nukhba.[15] Sources from the military said that some of the strikes targeted at top level Hamas militants were authorized by the IDF, despite the IDF knowing that the strike would kill dozens or hundreds other people.[16][17]

According to the IDF, Ayman Nofal was Hamas' fourth most senior commander , who had responsibility for the Nukhba at the Be'eri massacre and Re'im music festival massacre.[18][19] (Other sources described Nofal's role as running the Palestinian Joint Operations Room,[20] an alliance of Palestinian factions, including Islamic and secular groups.[21] On October 17 Nofal was killed in an airstrike.[17][18][19] Sources from the Israeli military said that in order to kill Nofal the military knowingly authorized a strike that they knew would kill approximately 300 other people.[16][17] Four multi-story apartment buildings were destroyed in the strike.[16] Only 70 bodies were recovered from the site on the first day, but locals in Gaza continued digging through the rubble of the building for 5 days, and believed some bodies remind under the ruble months later in April 2024.[16] The Qassam Brigades confirmed that Nofal had been killed in the strike.[18]

Nukhba prisoners

According to Israel's security service Shin Bet, captured Nukhba members were ordered to kill everyone they saw and carry out atrocities against civilians including women and children.[22] If they brought hostages back to Gaza they would be richly rewarded.[22]

According to footage the Israeli security services released of interrogation of purportedly captured Nukhba members, Hamas has been using medical facilities in the Gaza Strip, especially the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, to shield themselves from Israeli strikes and that the underground levels of the hospital are utilized for hiding resources like weapons and ammunition. Hamas denied these claims.[23]

Israeli officials claimed that Palestinian prisoners of war who were tortured and sexually assaulted were members of the Nukhba and that this justified abuse against them.[3] For example, Knesset member (KM) Hanoch Milwidsky, from the Likud party, said: "If he is a Nukhba, everything is legitimate to do! Everything!" When responding to a question from Arab Israeli KM Ahmad Tibi's criticism. of the treatment of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli soldiers.[24][3] Knesset member Simcha Rothman also commented on the Nukhba, "we see over and over again an enormous disconnect between the justice and enforcement agencies, who persecute reservists, heroic fighters, who left everything behind in order to protect us from the Nukhba terrorists, for whom 'animals' is a compliment".[4] In response to the reports of mistreatment of Nukhba prisoners Gideon Levy wrote that, "…the reports about sex crimes remained as defining the barbarity of the Nukhba. Now we have rape by our own Nukhba. There is not just "suspicion of rape" here and there is no need to recite the prefix "alleged." Somebody raped the Palestinian prisoner…" in his opinion piece in Haaretz[25]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b On 14 October 2023, the Israel Defense Forces announced that Ali Al Qadi was killed in a drone attack.[26][27]
  2. ^ a b Killed by an airstrike on an apartment complex on 17 October 2023.[28]

References

  1. ^ "Israeli Grief Specialist: 'We Don't Distinguish Between a Child in Gaza and Hamas' Nukhba Force'". Haaretz. June 27, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Rothwell, James (October 12, 2023). "Israel sets its sights on destroying Nukhba, the mysterious Hamas commando squad". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Simon Speakman Cordall (August 9, 2024). "'Everything is legitimate': Israeli leaders defend soldiers accused of rape". Al Jazeera. Retrieved September 17, 2024. Hanoch Milwidsky, a member of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, responded: "If he is a Nukhba [Hamas militant], everything is legitimate to do! Everything!" …
  4. ^ a b "Ministers, MKs criticize arrests of soldiers suspected of terrorist prisoner abuse". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. July 29, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024. MK Simcha Rothman also halted his committee mid-session. Rothman said that "we see over and over again an enormous disconnect between the justice and enforcement agencies, who persecute reservists, heroic fighters, who left everything behind in order to protect us from the Nukhba terrorists, for whom 'animals' is a compliment."
  5. ^ Cook, Ellie (October 12, 2023). "'Elite' Hamas Unit Behind Saturday Massacre Targeted in Israel Air Strikes". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  6. ^ Israel, David (October 22, 2023). "Left Behind: Hamas Terrorist Who Participated in 10/7 Massacre Captured". The Jewish Press. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Issacharoff, Avi (August 21, 2015). "Sending naval commandos to Iran via Sinai, Hamas pushed Egypt too far". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  8. ^ Issacharoff, Avi (February 7, 2017). "Elite Hamas fighters defecting to Islamic State". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Levy, Elior; Kais, Roi. "Hamas commander killed in ISIS suicide bombing at Rafah crossing". Ynet.
  10. ^ Sheils McNamee, Michael (October 11, 2023). "Children among 17 Britons dead or missing in Israel". BBC News. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Israeli death toll from Hamas shock onslaught reaches 1,300". Times of Israel. October 12, 2023. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "Israel social security data reveals true picture of Oct 7 deaths". France 24. December 15, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2024. The final death toll from the attack is now thought to be 695 Israeli civilians, including 36 children, as well as 373 security forces and 71 foreigners, giving a total of 1,139.
  13. ^ "Israel's Dead: The Names of Those Killed in Hamas Attacks, Massacres and the Israel-Hamas War". Haaretz. August 31, 2023. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024. Approximately 1,200 Israelis, civilians and soldiers were killed…" (Last updated 11 September 2023) lists "Victims of October 7 (1186)" including some who died in Gaza, e.g. "Alexander Dancyg, 75 Nir Oz Kidnapped from his home on October 7. Was killed while being held by Hamas.
  14. ^ a b Bohbot, Amir (October 22, 2023). "New Israeli unit has one goal: Kill all terrorists involved in massacre". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved October 23, 2023. "This force was specifically set up to target members of a special commando unit within Hamas's military wing called Nukhba ("elite") who infiltrated Israel, executed mass killings in various villages and IDF outposts, and then returned to the Gaza Strip."
  15. ^ Wong, Edward; Yazbek, Hiba (October 13, 2023). "Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Worsens as Israel Prepares a Possible Invasion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d "Israel accused of using AI to choose Gaza targets (transcript of interview)". CBC (Canada). April 8, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024. Ayman Nofal. He was the commander of Gaza's central brigade. And the source claimed that the military knowingly authorized to kill 300 Palestinian civilians alongside this target. 300 people. …four multi-story buildings filled with apartments were bombed on the families that were inside. … they found 70 people dead in the first day, and for five days continuously, they took people out of the rubble.
  17. ^ a b c Iraqi, Amjad (April 3, 2024). "'Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in Gaza". +972 Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2024. In order to assassinate Ayman Nofal, the commander of Hamas' Central Gaza Brigade, a source said the army authorized the killing of approximately 300 civilians, destroying several buildings in airstrikes on Al-Bureij refugee camp on Oct. 17, based on an imprecise pinpointing of Nofal.
  18. ^ a b c David Brennan Diplomatic (October 17, 2023). "Top Hamas commander killed in Israeli strike". Newsweek. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Rapaport, Amir (October 20, 2013). "Israel at War – End of Week 2: Eliminating Hamas' Nukhba Terrorists and Preparing for a Ground Operation". israeldefense.co.il. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  20. ^ "Hamas terrorist Ayman Nofal explains the workings of the Palestinian organizations' joint operations room in the Gaza Strip". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. October 31, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Tollast, Robert; Oweis, Khaled Yacoub (November 15, 2023). "Who are Hamas's allies in Gaza? From Islamic Jihad to Marxist militants". The National. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Kill, behead, rape: Interrogated Hamas members detail atrocities against civilians". Times of Israel. October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Zitun, Yoav (October 28, 2023). "Detained terrorists admit Hamas using hospitals to shield themselves". Ynet. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  24. ^ "Ministers, MKs criticize arrests of soldiers suspected of terrorist prisoner abuse". The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com. July 29, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024. MK Ahmad Tibi said, "Is inserting an explosive into the rectum of a person legitimate?" Milvetsky responded, "If he is a Nukhba (Hamas commando), everything is legitimate".
  25. ^ Gideon Levy (August 1, 2024). "Israel's Version of the Nukhba Is Worse Than Hamas'". Haaretz. Retrieved September 17, 2024. After a number of horror stories – not all of them – were refuted and found to have been incorrect, the reports about sex crimes remained as defining the barbarity of the Nukhba. Now we have rape by our own Nukhba. There is not just "suspicion of rape" here and there is no need to recite the prefix "alleged." Somebody raped the Palestinian prisoner who was taken to the hospital with a ruptured bowel and severe injury to his anus, and that somebody did all that to him on behalf of the state.
  26. ^ "Hamas top commander Ali Qadi who led Oct 7 massacre eliminated, says Israeli Defence Force". Financial Express. October 14, 2023. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  27. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (October 14, 2023). "IDF kills two Hamas commanders in Gaza involved in murderous attack on south". www.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  28. ^ "Israel accused of using AI to choose Gaza targets (transcript of interview)". CBC (Canada). April 8, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024. Ayman Nofal. He was the commander of Gaza's central brigade. And the source claimed that the military knowingly authorized to kill 300 Palestinian civilians alongside this target. 300 people. …four multi-story buildings filled with apartments were bombed on the families that were inside. … they found 70 people dead in the first day, and for five days continuously, they took people out of the rubble.
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