In a tragic incident in southern Gaza’s Rafah, eight Israeli soldiers were killed in a devastating explosion, marking the deadliest event for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the area since January, according to the Times of Israel.
Among the deceased is Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, a deputy company commander in the Combat Engineering Corps’ 601st Battalion from Beit Jann. The identities of the other seven soldiers will be released after their families have been notified.
Preliminary investigations by the IDF indicate that the soldiers were inside a Namer armored combat engineering vehicle (CEV) when the explosion occurred around 5 am. The convoy, which had been conducting an overnight operation against Hamas in Rafah’s Tel Sultan neighborhood, was heading to secure buildings for rest.
The Namer CEV, positioned fifth or sixth in the convoy, was hit by a powerful blast. It is yet to be determined whether the explosion was caused by a pre-planted bomb or an explosive device directly placed on the vehicle by Hamas operatives. Investigators are also exploring the possibility that external explosives contributed to the blast’s severity.
The IDF reported no exchange of gunfire during the incident, and the vehicle was in motion at the time of the explosion.
This tragedy brings the total number of IDF casualties during the ongoing ground offensive against Hamas and operations along the Gaza border to 307. This figure includes a police officer killed in a recent hostage rescue mission and a civilian Defense Ministry contractor lost in the conflict.
The previous deadliest incident occurred in January, when 21 soldiers were killed in a blast triggered by Hamas RPG fire, leading to the collapse of two buildings.
The IDF continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding this latest loss, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by military personnel in volatile regions.
