Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Gaza on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), marking one of the deadliest incidents involving its troops since October 7.
The IDF stated that the incident, still under review, occurred around 5:15 a.m. local time. Preliminary findings indicate that an armored vehicle carrying soldiers in a convoy was hit by an explosion during an operation targeting “terrorist infrastructure” in the northwestern part 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 said during a press conference.
An earlier IDF statement suggested that the initial explosion may have been compounded when explosive materials aboard the vehicle detonated.
“The current assessment is that the ‘Nemera’ armored vehicle got hit as a result of an explosion of a side bomb. Additionally, the vehicle contained engineering tools that included explosive materials. The explosion was significant and may have been caused by the ignition of these materials on the vehicle. This is not supposed to happen, and therefore the incident is being examined,” the IDF explained.
The explosion caused such extensive damage that identifying and locating the bodies of the deceased soldiers has been challenging.
“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 Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for the ambush, stating it had targeted enemy vehicles in Tal al-Sultan. The militant group reported attacking a military bulldozer, causing it to catch fire and kill or wound its crew. When rescue troops arrived, the group then struck an armored personnel carrier, killing the soldiers inside.
Israel has identified one of the fallen soldiers as Captain Wassem Mahmoud, Deputy Company Commander in the Engineering Battalion. The names of the other seven soldiers have not yet been disclosed.