“As soon as you bombed a civilian building in Gaza, a few minutes ago, we fired rockets towards Tel Aviv,” Abu Obeida said.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, named after Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, often shortened to Al-Qassam Brigades, EQB) is the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement.

From 1994 to 2000, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades carried out a number of attacks against the zionist occupation forces.

The group's strength and its ability to carry out complex and lethal attacks surprised many observers.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades operated several cells in the West Bank, according to local sources.

Hamas has a forceful presence in the Gaza Strip, generally considered its stronghold. The group is currently headed by Marwan Issa.

Yahya Sinwar, Hamas political leader in the Gaza Strip since February 2017, is a military leader in the Brigades in Gaza. (ILKHA)