Eight Israeli soldiers were killed while riding in an armored vehicle in southern Gaza on Saturday, the Israeli military said, as Israel’s offensive on the southern city of Rafah continued to cause heavy damage. for their army.
The Israeli military said the deaths occurred around 5:15 a.m. as Israeli troops operated northwest of Tel al-Sultan, a neighborhood in western Rafah. The military said eight soldiers from the army’s engineering force were sitting in an armored vehicle when the explosion occurred.
Hamas, the Palestinian armed group, said in a statement that its fighters fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli military vehicles west of Rafah, killing several soldiers. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters it was unclear whether it was an explosive device that damaged the vehicle or anti-tank missile fire.
The explosion damaged the vehicle but may have also ignited ammunition inside, Israeli military officials said, adding that the explosion was severe enough to make it difficult to find and identify the bodies. become difficult.
Israel has been fighting for more than eight months in Gaza following a Hamas-led attack on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people in Israel – mostly civilians – and took about 250 others hostage. More than 36,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to Palestinian health officials, who do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Hamas has waged a persistent guerrilla war, resisting Israeli efforts to defeat it, depose its leaders and bring back many of those kidnapped in surprise attacks. October 7. According to the Israeli military, the operation killed approximately 13,000 to 14,000 militants in Gaza. Israeli officials have not provided evidence for this calculation.
More than 300 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Israel’s ground offensive on Gaza began in late October. At the end of JanuaryAbout 20 Israeli soldiers were killed while preparing to destroy buildings inside Gaza near the border with Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel publicly mourned the deaths of the soldiers and called on Israel to remain committed to its military goals of destroying Hamas, bringing the hostages home and “securing Gaza.” can no longer threaten Israel.”
“There is no substitute for victory,” Netanyahu said, adding, “Don’t let anyone distract you from a simple and clear fact: We must continue to dedicate ourselves to the goals war, despite the heavy and painful costs.”
Netanyahu has been criticized by sections of the Israeli public, families of hostages held in Gaza and former security officials. Some believe that only an agreement with Hamas will return the 120 living and dead prisoners; others argue that his failure to offer a clear alternative to Hamas after the war has left the country stuck in a pattern of holding on to Gaza.
According to local medical officials, Israeli forces rescued four hostages in a rescue operation in central Gaza last weekend, leaving dozens of Gazans dead. Admiral Hagari welcomed the mission but added, “We have to be honest – we cannot bring everyone home this way.”
Israeli forces have closed in on Rafah in recent weeks, sweeping along the border with Egypt in an effort to destroy tunnels they say Hamas has used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. They also conducted raids on the city itself. The United Nations estimates that more than a million Palestinians have fled Rafah.
In the northern town of Beit Jann – home to Arab Israelis of the Druze faith – people mourned Waseem Mahmoud, one of the fallen soldiers. The Druze occupy an unusual middle ground in Israel: Arabs who follow a religious minority often serve in Israel’s military and security forces.
Town residents had planned to celebrate Eid al-Adha, a holiday shared by both Muslims and Druze. But all public festivals were canceled because of the news, said Nazih Dabour, the town’s mayor.
“We cannot bury our children and celebrate on the same day,” said Mr. Dabour, who called the family to express his condolences on Saturday. “It’s a huge tragedy for us.”
