Twenty-one soldiers lost their lives in combat in southern Gaza on Monday, marking the deadliest incident for Israeli troops in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
The military operation, which was aimed at dismantling military infrastructure belonging to the Palestinian resistance group, met with stiff resistance near the Kissufim border community.
According to the army spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the attack began when Hamas militants with a rocket-propelled grenade struck an Israeli tank, coinciding with an explosion that caused the collapse of two two-story buildings. Hagari noted that the buildings collapsed while the majority of the Israeli forces were inside or in close proximity.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosion, with initial reports suggesting it may be linked to mines planted by Israeli soldiers.
The army released the names of ten soldiers, while the families of the remaining eleven were informed of the tragic incident.
These casualties bring the death toll of Israeli soldiers in Gaza to 219 since the commencement of the ground assault on October 27. The overall army death toll from the Israeli offensive against Gaza, which began on October 7, now stands at 556.
Recall that on October 7, at the end of a Jewish holiday, hundreds of Hamas fighters crossed into Israel by land, air and sea and killed civilians in the streets, in their homes and at an outdoor rave party, resulting in the death of about 1,140 persons.
Israel retaliated to the attacks by declaring a war to destroy Hamas in its entirety.
