Hamas fighter screams 'Allahu Akbar' after destroying Israeli tank in Gaza in viral video | WATCH

A video showing a Hamas fighter single-handedly destroying an Israel Defense Force (IDF) tank in the war-torn Gaza Strip went viral on the internet. The video was shared on Telegram after Israel confirmed the incident in Gaza's Khan Younis neighbourhood on Friday, 4th July.

 

A tank operator was killed and three others were injured after Hamas managed to detonate an explosive in close proximity to a Merkava Mk.4M tank, reports said. Among the three injured personnel, the condition of two is reported to be critical, while the third did not suffer life-threatening injuries. Home-built Merkava Mk.4M tanks have formed the backbone of the IDF's Armoured Corps since the 1980s.

 

The video of the IED attack, released by Russian Telegram channels, showed Hamas fighters creating a barrier between themselves and the Merkava Mk.4M tank amidst the rubble of the warfront. We see a Hamas fighter, whose face has been blurred, appearing from the ruins with a package in his hands. Another fighter nearby calls him "hero" as he begins his daring climb towards the tank a few metres away through destroyed buildings, junk and half-torn dusty walls. He is cautious, ensuring he isn't spotted amidst the loud sounds of automatic fire shaking the surroundings.

 

The fellow Hamas fighter cannot contain his excitement and begins hailing his comrade as it becomes evident that he managed to reach the vicinity of the IDF tank without being spotted. A few minutes later, the video shows the Palestinian youth hurrying back to safety as the explosive detonates behind him. We see a ball of fire in the area where the tank stood earlier in the video.

 

THE WEEK could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. It is reported that 363 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza in 2024 alone. Despite having lost its operational capacity, Hamas continues to ambush the IDF in pockets, sometimes inflicting casualties. 

 

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 18 Palestinians in Muwasi, an area on the Mediterranean coast where thousands of displaced people live in tents, officials at Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press. They stated that two families were among the dead. The Israeli military said troops operating in the Khan Younis area had eliminated militants, confiscated weapons, and dismantled Hamas outposts in the previous 24 hours, while striking 100 targets across Gaza, including military structures, weapons storage facilities, and launchers.

Middle East