The "Times of Israel" has revealed new details regarding the deaths of eight Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning. The Israeli army announced that the soldiers were killed "during operational activities" in the southern Gaza Strip, where the war has been ongoing for more than eight months. In response to a question about the circumstances of the soldiers' deaths, the army confirmed that their armored vehicle designated for troop transport exploded in the Rafah area.
The "Times of Israel" reported details about what is considered the deadliest incident for the Israeli army in Gaza since January. According to an initial investigation by the Israeli army, all the soldiers died inside a "Namer" armored fighting vehicle. The soldiers were leading a convoy around 5 AM on Saturday, following a nighttime attack in the northwestern parts of the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, where forces from the 401st Armored Brigade reportedly killed around 50 militants.
The convoy was heading to buildings secured by the army for the troops to rest after the nighttime operation. According to the "Times of Israel," the targeted armored vehicle was the fifth or sixth in the convoy, and as it moved, it was hit by a large explosion. It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was caused by a bomb planted earlier or if Hamas fighters approached the vehicle with an explosive device and placed it directly on it.
Earlier, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed that militants ambushed the armored personnel carrier, resulting in the death and injury of several Israeli soldiers in the Tal al-Sultan area. The army is also investigating whether explosives on the vehicle's exterior contributed to the huge explosion. According to the Israeli newspaper, typically, landmines and other explosives on the exterior of an armored vehicle do not cause injuries to the troops inside if they detonate.
The investigation concluded that "there was no gunfire during the incident and that the vehicle was not stationary when the explosion occurred." With this incident, the total number of Israeli soldiers killed during the ground assault on Gaza has risen to 307. The deadliest incident for the Israeli army in Gaza occurred in January, where 21 soldiers were killed in an explosion that followed an RPG attack from Hamas, leading to the collapse of two buildings.
