"A Whole Army" .. A Large Qassam Parade During the Handover of Prisoners and Shock in Israel

In a scene that carried more defiance than celebration, the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), handed over the Israeli-American prisoner Keith Schmonsel Segal, a matter that sparked angry reactions in Israel.

In the first exchange operation after the announcement of the martyrdom of the Qassam Chief of Staff, Muhammad Deif, the Qassam Shadow Unit handed over Segal (65 years old) in the Gaza port, in the presence of hundreds of fighters from its various battalions.

Pictures of the members of the military council who were recently announced as martyrs during the battle by Al-Qassam, headed by Al-Daif, were present on the handover platform.

Fighters from the Qassam Brigades' infantry, sniper and armored units took part in securing the operation, as Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, Mohammed Qreiqea, said. They were deployed in the area for hours before the Shadow Unit arrived, arriving in its special uniform and vehicles, accompanied by Segal, whom it had kept for 15 months.

But the biggest surprise was the presence of the commander of the Beach Battalion, Haitham Al-Hawajri, in his military uniform, at the handover ceremony. He is the man the Israeli army said it killed during the war.

Great popular celebration

Since early morning, hundreds of Palestinians have flocked to the Gaza port to attend the handover of Segal. Some women were throwing flowers on the heads of the fighters, while many others distributed sweets.

For the first time, the Palestinians reached the port from the coastal Rashid Street, which the occupation prevented them from reaching throughout the war. They preferred to attend Segal’s handover rather than return to their homes, as Qureiqa said.

They traveled up to 10 kilometers to attend this historic scene. The choice of the handover site was intentional because those returning to their homes in the north would pass through it, and some of the war wounded were keen to attend the handover of the American prisoner, according to Qureiqa.

As happened in the previous handover scenes, the Israeli weapons that the resistance had captured from the Israeli army during Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa were present on the shoulders of the Qassam fighters, but more qualitative weapons appeared during the handover of Segal.

"They will conquer their enemy"

Al-Qassam Brigades broadcasts footage of the handover of the fourth batch of occupation prisoners in the Gaza Strip as part of the first phase of the "Al-Aqsa Flood Deal." pic.twitter.com/qR3nKPP9nK

— Radwan Al-Akhras (@rdooan) February 1, 2025

The positioning of the Qassam fighters in the area was wisely engineered, and sent a strong message to Israel that the Brigades had regained their strength and formation, Karam said.

According to Al Jazeera's correspondent in Palestine, Elias Karam, the handover scene will come as a shock to Israel, whose military leaders said they had destroyed Hamas's military capabilities, something this image denies.

Shocking ceremony for Israel

The handover ceremony also confirms Hamas's political survival in the Gaza Strip, Karam said, adding that what appeared today "is a full army and not terrorist organizations as Israel is trying to portray them."

White cars were also present in the new delivery process, and these are the cars that strike fear into the hearts of Israelis because they are the ones that stormed the Gaza envelope on October 7, 2023, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent.

The fighters chanted the famous slogan, "Put the sword in front of the sword...we are the men of Mohammed Deif." Karam said that the Israeli military spokesman must respond to these scenes, "which completely contradict the statements he was bragging about destroying the Qassam."

In Karam's view, the resistance wanted, through the carefully designed military scene, to say, "We are here," something that is consistent with the results of a recent poll by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, which showed that only 4% believe that the war has fully achieved its goals.

Segal was handed over in full health and elegance, and the resistance gave him as a gift to him and his wife, who had been a prisoner and was released during the first truce in November 2023.

Before handing over Segal, the Qassam Brigades handed over the two Israeli prisoners, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Calderon, in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. They were transported in a military vehicle that Israeli Channel 12 said the resistance had captured during the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Anger in Israel

These scenes sparked angry reactions in the Israeli media, which saw the movement’s approach to each surrender as a show of force, a mockery of the occupation, and the sending of strong messages to the interior and exterior.

Maariv newspaper focused on the pictures that showed Hamas members smiling and proud of what it described as the “spoils” they obtained from the occupation army, especially the “Tavor” rifles, a weapon used by elite units in the Israeli army.

The newspaper considered that this show aims to enhance the image of Hamas as a victorious and powerful organization, warning of its impact on morale in Israel. For its part, Channel 13 raised sharp questions about the performance of the Israeli army during the period preceding the release operation.

The channel wondered about the large number of Hamas members who appeared today, armed and in full military uniform, saying, "Where did all these people come from? What was the Israeli army doing for 14 months? What did the army achieve in Gaza?"

She referred to previous statements by Defense Minister Yoav Galant, in which he announced the elimination of Hamas brigades in Rafah, Khan Yunis and the north, claiming that the movement had become scattered and exhausted. These questions reflect growing doubts about the effectiveness of the Israeli war that lasted more than 15 months on Gaza.

Hamas mockery

In turn, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority addressed another aspect of the event, highlighting what it described as “Hamas’ mockery” in its treatment of prisoners.

The authority indicated that the American prisoner Keith Shmonsel Segal received an additional bag of gifts for his wife, Aviva, who was released during the first truce in November 2023.

The Authority considered that this behavior aims to send psychological messages and exploit symbols to enhance the image of Hamas as a compassionate and influential organization.

Channel 24 Israel also considered that Hamas's choice of the Gaza port to hand over Keith carries a message of defiance to Netanyahu and Galant, as the area is affiliated with the Beach Battalion, who are supervising the handover process, and the Qassam naval force was conducting training there.

The channel said that the Gaza port was considered an important center for the presence of major Israeli military and political leaders. Netanyahu arrived twice to the Gaza port via warships, as did the former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, who visited the Israeli forces through this port, and they conducted tours inside Gaza, and Israeli tanks sometimes arrived.

Source: Yemen Youth Net + Al Jazeera + Israeli Press