Israeli military confirms killing of seven soldiers in Khan Younis
The Israeli military announced the killing of seven Israeli soldiers, including a lieutenant, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, during an operation carried out by the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades.
The attack carried out by Palestinian fighters targeted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) on Tuesday afternoon with an explosive device attached to the military vehicle.
According to the military, the soldiers killed in the explosion belonged to Battalion 605, which is part of the 188th Brigade Combat Team, whose troops have been operating on the ground in Khan Younis for the past few weeks.
The army identified those killed as Matan Shai Yashinovsky, Alon Davidov, Niv Radie, Ronal Ben-Moshe, Shahar Manoav, Ronen Shapiro and Maayan Baruch Perlstein.
"This is a difficult and painful morning for the entire Israeli people," a statement published early on Wednesday by the military read.
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Meanwhile, a post released by the Qassam Brigades on Telegram confirmed carrying out a "complex ambush" on Israeli troops using a "Shawaz explosive device placed inside the cockpit" of the APC.
The brigade said that another military vehicle was targeted near the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Khan Younis, noting that Palestinian fighters "monitored the landing of a helicopter for evacuation, which lasted for several hours".
The Israeli military indicated that rescue forces and helicopters attempted to save the fighters from the military vehicle set ablaze but "without success", adding that the "complex incident is still being investigated".
The operation carried out by the Qassam Brigade highlights its capabilities on the ground despite Israel's nearly two-year war on Gaza.
The ambush follows a statement made by the Israeli military's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, announcing that the army's focus was on returning to Gaza to bring back the captives and to "dismantle Hamas' rule" after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect on Tuesday.
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