Hamas mocks Israeli army insignia during handover of captive soldier in Jabalia

The Palestinian group, Hamas, mocked the insignia of Israeli army brigades that took part in the genocidal war on Gaza by displaying altered emblems on a platform used for the handover of captured Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, in Jabalia in northern Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.

The displayed artwork included symbols of the Givati, Nahal, Kfir and 401st Armoured Brigades, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

The emblem of the Givati Brigade, an elite unit in the Israeli infantry forces, was altered from a fox to a fox stabbed with a dagger, with the Hebrew inscription “Jabalia, the grave of Givati” above it.

The Kfir Brigade, an infantry unit whose emblem is a dagger, was redesigned to show a dagger piercing a soldier’s skull.

The Nahal Brigade, an elite unit in the Israeli military, saw its emblem – originally a bundle of multicoloured wheat stalks – transformed into a sickle reaping soldiers.

Hamas artists also made significant modifications to the 401st Armoured Brigade insignia, altering it to depict a helmet with a skull inside.

These four military units were responsible for large-scale operations in northern Gaza, leading to widespread destruction and the killing and wounding of tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Hamas intentionally incorporates symbolic messaging during the handover of Israeli captives, aiming to send direct psychological signals to the Israeli public, which closely follows these events via television broadcasts. The Resistance movement also uses Hebrew to ensure its messages reach the Israeli audience directly.

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, handed over female Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, to the International Committee of the Red Cross early Thursday after she emerged from the rubble in the Jabalia Refugee Camp, which has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli forces since it launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.

During the handover, the Qassam fighters displayed a rifle seized during the Israeli war on Gaza. The weapon was prominently placed on the prisoner transfer platform.

While the exact model of the rifle remains unclear, military experts suggest it is a firearm used by Israel’s elite Special Rescue Unit. The Israeli military has not issued any official statement regarding the rifle.

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