Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced that an attack by "Al-Qassam" targeted Golani forces in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood yesterday, which resulted in the deaths of 9 soldiers, describing it as "difficult and dangerous." During his visit to wounded soldiers, Halevi said, "As we all know, we witnessed a difficult event yesterday (in Shuja'iyya), where one of our units faced a trial, and many officers in the army faced gunfire and danger." He added, "Officers are at the front because this is how we operate in the Israeli army; we believe it is right to fight this way, and we believe it is right to prevail."
This morning, the Israeli army announced the deaths of 8 officers in an ambush set by "Al-Qassam Brigades" in Shuja'iyya, north of the Gaza Strip yesterday, including the commander of the 13th Battalion in the Golani Brigade. Colonel Yair Blay, commander of the Golani Brigade, stated that the brigade faced a "painful blow" the previous night in a well-planned ambush by the "Al-Qassam" which resulted in the deaths of 9 soldiers and injuries to others. Addressing Golani soldiers, Blay said, "The blow is painful; we have lost dear friends, fighters, and leaders."
What Happened?
According to the Israeli official broadcasting agency "Kan," the soldiers and officers who were killed were from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. The list of the dead was headed by Battalion Commander Major Tomer Greenberg. The agency reported that the soldiers and officers stormed a building for inspection during a field reconnaissance operation in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, and as soon as they entered, Palestinian fighters opened fire on them and also detonated an explosive device.
Fierce fighting broke out between the two sides, during which the Israeli force split into two. A third unit rushed to the scene for assistance and rescue, when the Palestinians detonated another explosive device, leading to casualties among Israeli soldiers. Subsequently, Palestinian fighters detonated a third explosive device against the Israeli force. As a result, the soldiers who remained alive called for air support, and helicopters worked to evacuate the injured and the bodies of the dead from the scene. The Israeli army is investigating whether the attack was linked to the presence of a tunnel in the building, which the Palestinians used in the ambush.
The Largest Number
This is the largest number of casualties reported by Israel in a single day, raising its military losses since October 7 to 444 soldiers and officers. The "Times of Israel" reported yesterday that the number of Israeli military personnel killed since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27 has reached 105. Social media sites shared photos of Golani soldiers shortly before they were targeted.
Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi described the attack on Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army announced the deaths of 10 of its military personnel in the battles in Gaza.
