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JERUSALEM.- The Israeli military announced Saturday that eight soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip in what could be the deadliest attack on Israeli soldiers in months. in the midst of the Israeli offensive in response to the Hamas attack on its soil on October 7.
The deaths are likely to intensify calls for a ceasefire and increase Israeli public outrage over military exemptions granted to the ultra-Orthodox.
The eight soldiers “fell during an operational activity in the southern Gaza Strip,” the army said in a statement.
According to Israeli media, The soldiers were killed by the explosion of their vehicle near the city of Rafah, in the south of the Palestinian territory.
Asked about the circumstances of these deaths, The army confirmed the explosion of a Namer armored personnel carrier.
Among the eight deceased soldiers, is Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, the statement stated. Mahmoud was a deputy company commander in the 601st Battalion of the Combat Engineer Brigade.
Mahmoud’s uncle, Sharif Ghanem, He said his nephew returned to fight in Gaza after being injured at the start of the war, YNet reported.
According to the Jerusalem Post site, the IDF is investigating whether the armored vehicle was hit by an explosive device that was under the vehicle or on the side of the vehicle. Another possibility that is being considered is that A malfunction of the explosives carried by the vehicle caused the explosion.
These deaths raise 306 the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began its ground offensive in the Palestinian territory on October 27.
In January, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
The Israeli army launched an assault on the city of Rafah on May 7, which provoked disapproval from the international community.
After months of negotiations for a ceasefire, no common ground has been found between the Israelis and the Hamas terrorist group, which governs Gaza.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas proposed modifications to an American-backed plan, some of which, he noted, were “viable,” but others were not. He did not give further details.
Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered an end to government subsidies for many ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the military. His exemption from military service has angered broad sectors of Israeli society during the eight months of war.
Israel’s coalition government contains a powerful bloc of ultra-Orthodox parties that have long been partners of the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s bombings and ground offensives in Gaza They have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in the hands of Hamas. The war has also driven about 80% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes, and Israeli restrictions and continued fighting have hampered efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, fueling widespread hunger.
Israel launched its military campaign after Hamas and other fighters swept into southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 people hostage. More than 100 hostages were freed during a week-long ceasefire last year in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Hamas is believed to be holding about 80 hostages and the remains of another 40.
AP and AFP Agencies
THE NATION
