The Islamic militant group, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, said in a short Twitter statement Sunday that Mahmoud Eshtewi was killed after he confessed.
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Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) recommended during a recent cabinet meeting that Israel carry out a military operation to combat Hamas’s underground tunnel threat instead of waiting for the next round of hostilities with the Palestinian terrorist group.
Hamas says at least 12 of its men died the past month in tunnel collapse accidents.
“However, Israel is also aware that Hamas – as the Gaza Strip’s de facto governing power – wants to mitigate the suffering of nearly two million Palestinians who have remained under siege for the last 10 years”, he added.
Sari Bashi, HRW’s Israel-Palestine director, said the rights group was unable to visit him, but that his family’s claims were “consistent with persistent and credible reports that Hamas security forces have been arresting and torturing those who express criticism”.
Israel destroyed more than 30 tunnels during the conflict two years ago, during which Hamas fighters used tunnels to infiltrate Israel in an effort to attack soldiers and southern Israeli communities.
“The IDF is aware of the fact that Hamas has been working to rebuild its sophisticated tunnel network within the Gaza Strip”. It was able to inflict large numbers of casualties among Israeli soldiers, which prompted it to develop this weapon into a strategic weapon.
During the offensive, the Israeli army announced that it had destroyed over 30 cross-border tunnels, with some Israeli military officials expressing surprise at the extent of the tunnel-building.
“The IDF remains prepared and ready to defend Israel’s borders and its civilians, especially those living in close proximity to the Gaza Strip, from any potential threat should it arise”. “They tricked us”, she said.
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Eshtaiwi, described by Al Qassam Brigades as “a member of the corps” was sentenced to death at 4pm on 7 February.
