JERUSALEM / ANKARA

Several Israeli military symbols captured by Palestinian resistance fighters and a locally made sniper rifle were displayed Saturday at an event in Gaza marking the release of the fourth batch of Israeli hostages under the ceasefire and exchange deal.

The Ghoul rifle, developed by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and named after Adnan al-Ghoul, a prominent leader of the Palestinian group killed in 2004, first gained recognition during the 2014 Israeli military assault on Gaza, where it was used in precise sniper operations against Israeli soldiers.

The display of the rifle comes more than a year after the Israeli military claimed to have dismantled key units of the Al-Qassam Brigades, including its production capabilities.

Several Israeli military insignia were also displayed, captured by Palestinian fighters during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, including Unit 8200, known for its intelligence gathering and code-breaking expertise. Also on the stage was a large banner reading, "Zionism will not prevail."

Other symbols included the Eagle Unit (414), a special operations unit of the Israeli Southern Command, and the Gaza Division's Katif Brigade (6643), responsible for operations in the southern Gaza region.

Additionally, Hamas displayed the emblem of the Fox Brigade (143), tasked with securing Israel’s border with Gaza, and the Northern Brigade of the Gaza Division (7643), along with the logo of Israel’s Shin Bet security service and Unit 9900, which specializes in visual intelligence gathering.

In the fourth batch, Hamas released three Israeli prisoners, including one with US citizenship, to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In exchange, Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners, including 18 serving life sentences.

On Jan. 19, a ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel went into effect, initially lasting 42 days, during which negotiations will continue for subsequent phases of the deal. The agreement is mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with support from the US.

Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 47,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.