Mossad defeated in the dark — The mystery of Hamas’ Shadow Unit

Michael Milstein, the Israeli analyst writing in Yedioth Ahronoth, stated that the “Shadow Unit” of Al-Qassam has recently dominated Israeli media coverage, describing it as one of the special forces units within the Brigades.

Milstein noted that members of the Shadow Unit are fluent in both Arabic and English — a skill that enabled them to communicate and interact with Israeli captives held in Gaza.

He further acknowledged that Israeli security and intelligence services have not found a single piece of physical evidence proving the existence of the unit’s members or the locations of their operations — a sign, he wrote, of their exceptional discipline and mastery of operational secrecy.

According to Milstein, the unit has managed to leave behind an “almost mythical image,” reflecting Al-Qassam’s remarkable ability to manage the prisoners’ file with extreme confidentiality and precision.

The Shadow Unit was established in 2006, shortly before the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Its main purpose was to guard Israeli captives and keep them hidden from Israel’s intelligence and security agencies. “Bassem Issa,” the former commander of Hamas’ Gaza Brigade — who was assassinated during the 2021 war — was among the founding members of this unit and played a key role in concealing Shalit’s whereabouts.

According to Al Jazeera, the “Shadow Unit” receives advanced military and psychological training and has extraordinary capabilities in concealment and mobility.

However, the network noted, very few details are known about the unit’s operations, as Al-Qassam Brigades maintain strict secrecy due to the sensitivity of its missions. Reports suggest that during past wars — particularly the most recent conflict — the unit was responsible for protecting Israeli captives and keeping them secure in hidden locations throughout the besieged Gaza Strip.

Its tactics reportedly include moving Israeli captives between multiple safe locations, using underground hideouts and abandoned buildings, and implementing sophisticated security measures to prevent detection.