Eight Israeli soldiers lost their lives in southern Gaza on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), marking one of the deadliest single incidents involving its troops since October 7.
The IDF reported that the incident is still under investigation, but initial findings indicate that an armoured vehicle carrying soldiers as part of a convoy was struck by an explosion around 5:15 a.m. local time. The operation was targeting militant facilities in the northwestern area of Tal al-Sultan.
“According to the information we have at this point, one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy was involved in an explosion that was apparently caused by explosive devices planted in the area or as a result of anti-tank missile fire,” IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari told a press conference Saturday.
The IDF is also investigating whether the initial explosion was made worse by the detonation of explosive material aboard the vehicle.
“The current assessment is that the ‘Nemera’ armoured vehicle got hit as a result of an explosion of a side bomb. In addition, on the vehicle, there were engineering tools that included explosive materiel. The explosion was significant and may have been caused by the ignition of the explosive material on the vehicle. All this is not supposed to happen and therefore the incident is being examined,” the IDF said.
The damage was so catastrophic that it made the task of identifying and locating the bodies very difficult.
“Today we received another painful reminder of the price of war and that brave warriors and heroes were willing to sacrifice their lives for the state of Israel, which is the common home of all of us: Druze, Jews, Bedouin, Muslims and Christians. All citizens of Israel, our hearts and thoughts are with the families at this difficult time,” Hagari said at the press conference.
The IDF has not announced who they believe was responsible for the incident. However, Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stated that it had “carried out a complex ambush against enemy vehicles” active in Tal al-Sultan which is to the west of Rafah. The militant group asserted that it had targeted a military bulldozer, causing it to catch fire.
Meanwhile, in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, situated in the northern part of the enclave, Israeli media reported that two reservists were killed in an incident involving an explosive device on the tank they were travelling in. The IDF did not specify whom they believed was responsible for the incident.
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