Report: Terrorists hold kidnap training
Islamic Jihad using ceasefire to concentrate on training exercises in southern Gaza, focusing on how to kidnap IDF soldiers, in a similar manner to Hizbullah's 2006 attack
What are terror groups in Gaza doing now that a ceasefire technically prevents them from shooting rockets? It turns out that the Islamic Jihad has been spending its time in the southern part of the strip, holding 'training exercises' on how to kidnap Israeli soldiers in a manner similar to Hizbullah's 2006 attack.
"Thousands of Palestinian fighters recently trained in how to kidnap Zionist soldiers," reported the London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper on Monday, referencing the conservative Iranian Kayhan newspaper and Quds news agency.
A senior member of the al-Quds Brigades - the Islamic Jihad's military wing - quoted in the article said that the many recent training sessions were meant to prepare members to kidnap IDF soldiers.
"Hizbullah's experience in Lebanon and the Palestinian resistance in Gaza regarding the kidnap of Israeli soldiers prove that, by kidnapping soldiers, we can get Israel to release Palestinian prisoners," he said.
Kidnappings lead to capitulation
The resistance's capabilities have proven that it is possible to force Israel to capitulate to Palestinian demands in the end, the senior member said. He added that over 11,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails and that the kidnap of Israeli soldiers will cause Israel to surrender and release large numbers of prisoners.The Iranian media sources did not note how many Palestinians took part in the training exercises or exactly when they took place. Similarly, it was unclear whether they involved only Islamic Jihad militants, or whether Hamas members also took part in the exercises.
An Iranian source denied that Tehran was involved in these training exercises and emphasized that "a change in the strategy of the resistance is based on the existing conditions."
According to the Iranian source, the Palestinian organizations must learn from other resistance organizations, such as Hizbullah.
"These are sensitive conditions. We must be ready for any possibility. If the Zionist entity will insist on displaying aggression towards the Palestinians, the answer is to develop a Palestinian response."
Roee Nahmias contributed to this report
