Senior Hamas Nukhba Brigade Commander Abu al-Baraa told the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) during interrogations on Thursday that he had a message for the remaining Hamas fighters, "I recommend everyone surrender, your fate is death."
The Shin Bet published parts of their investigation of Hamas operative Muhammad Nasir Suleiman Abu-Namr or Abu al-Baraa - who told them about the moments when he was captured and how he and his friends chose to lay down their arms and surrender.
Muhammad Netzer Suleiman, the leader of the special forces (Nukhba) in Khan Yunis is captured inside a tunnel by the Israeli army pic.twitter.com/xaNJVhfYHj
— Ph.Gritti (@Philipp27960841) February 8, 2024
The Shin Bet said that Abu al-Baraa was caught hiding behind an armored door in a tunnel deep under Khan Yunis, along with other terrorists - armed with guns, RPGs, and explosives.
From the tunnel, he was transferred directly to the Shin Bet's interrogation room, where he explained he joined the organization in 2009.
Under interrogation
When Abu al-Baraa was asked in the investigation who was arrested along with him, he gave the name of two other members: "Hamis Saafi and Iyad al-Astal".
After that, he told the investigators what weapons the three had, "Kalashnikovs, RPGs, explosive charges, improvised explosive devices." However, he clarified that when the other soldiers entered the tunnel, they did not open fire.
"We came to the decision that we don't want to fight and as soon as the army comes we will turn ourselves in," said Abu al-Baraa.
According to him, "We sat in the room, we put all the weapons outside, outside the room. And the army came and took all the weapons. We sat and waited. When the army arrived, we raised our hands and surrendered."
In addition, when asked to convey a message to other members of the organization who are currently in the tunnels, he said: "I recommend everyone to surrender because your destiny is to die."