"I heard the bullet whizz past me –and realized it was a sniper," a Nahal Brigade soldier recounted to his comrades about a video released by Hamas, in which the terror group falsely claimed to have shot and killed him, despite missing the target.
"The bullet struck nearby. I followed protocol, ducked down, and quickly alerted the commanders beside me so they could take cover and we could begin efforts to locate the terrorist."
The video, released earlier this week, purportedly shows a sniper from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza shooting and hitting the soldier, who was unharmed. Hamas fabricated the footage, editing it to include visual effects that seemed to show a bullet hitting the soldier's abdomen. On a bag near the sniper Hamas operatives had written, "One bullet, one officer, Al-Aqsa Flood" – the name Hamas has given to the current war. The sniper’s face was blurred in the video.
"It was a bit frightening for a second, but I quickly regained my composure," the soldier added. "We've gained significant operational experience here over the months, even against Hamas snipers – many of whom we've eliminated. This incident didn’t stop me from continuing to fight alongside my comrades in this week's operation. We won’t stop until we take out that sniper too."
The video published by Hamas
The shot at the soldier was likely fired from an American-made Barrett sniper rifle in the hands of Hamas snipers. The sniper fired a .50-caliber bullet, which causes severe and deadly damage if it hits a person. However, the bullet narrowly missed the soldier's head. Realizing this, he quickly ducked behind a nearby dirt embankment where he and his commander had been standing.
Following the incident, Israeli forces launched intelligence and aerial operations to track down and eliminate the sniper, but as of now he remains alive.
In recent months, Hamas snipers have successfully targeted Israeli soldiers across the Gaza Strip, documenting the incidents and producing propaganda videos. The terror group has also used drones for reconnaissance and psychological warfare. On the other hand, as revealed by Ynet, the IDF has recently initiated a concentrated campaign to hunt down Hamas snipers in northern Gaza, successfully neutralizing several in past attempts.
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