Al-Qassam strikes 19 Israeli troops in Rafah
ALBAWABA - Hamas' armed branch, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said Thursday that it has killed and wounded many troops after attacking two Israeli units in the Al-Tannour area of Rafah in the east. During operations in southern Gaza, the Israeli military subsequently reported that two of its men had died and four others had been injured.
Al-Qassam stated in a statement that its fighters destroyed a home near Fida'i Junction by firing anti-personnel and anti-armor rounds at a 12-member Israeli engineering team. According to the organization, many people were killed when the home burst after the hit. It has been claimed that helicopters have arrived at the scene to remove the injured.
Seven Israeli troops were allegedly caught in a different ambush close to the Omar ibn Abdul Aziz Mosque. According to al-Qassam, a powerful explosive device exploded, leaving many soldiers dead or injured.
Two troops from the Golani and Engineering brigades were confirmed dead, while two commanders and two soldiers were critically injured, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Video of helicopters delivering wounded troops to hospitals in Ashkelon and Jerusalem was shared by Israeli media.
The current fighting in Rafah coincides with Israel's larger ground campaign in Gaza, which recommenced on March 18 after a ceasefire brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt broke down. There had been few prisoner swaps between Israel and Hamas during the first truce, which started on January 19.
The U.S.-backed Israeli onslaught has killed over 172,000 Palestinians, including more than 11,000 who are still unaccounted for, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The victims are mostly women and children.
Israel has recorded 856 troops dead and over 5,800 injured since the war began on October 7, 2023, including over 2,600 wounded during the ground assault of Gaza. Palestinian groups, meanwhile, point to strict media restrictions and unrecorded deaths as evidence that the Israeli military is downplaying its losses.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who allegedly backed out of the second phase of the ceasefire deal due to pressure from his far-right coalition allies, restarted the military assault. The escalation comes amid mounting internal criticism of Netanyahu.
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