Latest news with #RonelBen-Moshe
Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Seven Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza blast, army says
A young man covers his head with an Israeli flag as he mourns Ronel Ben-Moshe, a soldier killed in the Gaza Strip the day before, during his funeral in Rehovot on June 25, 2026. Seven Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza after an attack on their armoured vehicle, Israel said on June 25, in one of the deadliest incidents for its forces in the more than 20-month war. Photo: AFP Listen to article Seven soldiers were killed in Gaza after an attack on their armoured vehicle, Israel said Wednesday, in one of the deadliest incidents for its forces in the more than 20-month war. The troops were operating in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Tuesday when their vehicle caught fire after assailants attached an explosive device to it, the Israeli military said. The army's website listed the names of the seven soldiers, including a platoon commander from the battalion who "fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip". "Yesterday afternoon, during an operational activity, an explosive device was attached to an armored Puma vehicle belonging to the brigade's forces," military spokesperson Effie Defrin told a briefing. "As a result, the armored vehicle caught fire. Rescue forces and helicopters were dispatched to the scene and made attempts to extract the soldiers, but were unsuccessful." Read More: Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks gain momentum as Trump says 'great progress' on Gaza The fatalities fuelled calls for a settlement to end the fighting in Gaza. "The war in Gaza has run its course, it is being conducted with no clear purpose and no concrete plan," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing the families of those abducted by Hamas, said in a statement. The war was triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,077 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable. Also Read: US gives $30m to controversial aid group in Gaza despite violence concerns Of the 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The deadliest incident for Israeli forces in the war was recorded on January 22, 2024, when 21 soldiers were killed in the collapse of two buildings that came under fire from Palestinian gunmen. More than 440 Israeli soldiers have died in the war so far. The territory of more than two million people is suffering from famine-like conditions after Israel blocked all supplies from early March and continues to impose restrictions, according to rights groups. After Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir said focus would now shift back to Gaza.
Canada News.Net
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Hamas targets Israeli APC, 7 IDF soldiers killed
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza - Seven Israeli soldiers were killed in a large explosion in southern Gaza's Khan Younis area on Tuesday night, marking one of the deadliest single incidents for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in recent months. It is understand an explosive device was attached to a decades-old armored personnel carrier (APC) operated by the Combat Engineering Corps in southern Gaza. The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesdat evening near Khan Younis, where soldiers from the 605th Battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps were conducting operations in a "Puma" APC. Initial reports indicate the blast ignited a fire that could not be immediately contained. Key Details of the Attack A preliminary IDF investigation revealed that a militant managed to plant an explosive device on the APC, though the exact method remains under review. Firefighting teams and soldiers rushed to extinguish the flames, while a D9 bulldozer was deployed to cover the wreckage with sand and pull the vehicle back into Israeli territory for forensic analysis. The 605th Battalion was operating with the Puma APC, a model dating back decades, despite the Combat Engineering Corps' primary armored vehicle—the heavily fortified "Namer"—being standard issue for parallel battalions in Gaza. The IDF has not yet clarified why the older Puma was in use. Fallen Soldiers and Response The IDF confirmed the identities of 6 of the seven soldiers, as Lieutenant Matan Shai Yashinovski, (21), Sergeant Ronel Ben-Moshe (20), Sergeant Niv Radia (20), Sergeant Ronen Shapiro (19), Sergeant Shahar Manoav (21), and Sergeant Maayan Baruch Perlstein (20), all with the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued statements mourning the dead as "heroes who fell in the battle for Israel's security." Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility, calling the attack a "complex ambush" and releasing footage purportedly showing the explosive device being detonated. Questions Over Outdated Equipment Military analysts noted the Puma APC's vulnerability compared to the Namer, which features advanced armor and anti-explosive systems. The incident has sparked internal scrutiny over why the 605th Battalion was deployed with the older vehicle in what they describe as a high-risk combat zone. The IDF said a full inquiry is underway, including an assessment of operational protocols for engineering units in Gaza. Tuesday night's explosion is the second in Khan Younis to claim Israeli lives in just over two weeks, following an explosion in a building on 6 June 2025 which killed four IDF soldiers.
New York Post
20 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
7 Israeli soldiers blown up by Hamas terrorist in deadliest attack in Gaza in months
Seven Israeli soldiers were blown up by a Hamas terrorist in one of the deadliest attacks on its armed forces in Gaza in months, the Jewish state announced Wednesday. The soldiers were on patrol Tuesday in the southern city Khan Younis when the terrorist attached a bomb to their armored vehicle, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 'Helicopters and rescue forces were sent to the spot. They made attempts to rescue the fighters, but without success,' IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said. Advertisement The soldiers were named on Wednesday as Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, 21; Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, 20; Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, 20; Sgt. Ronen Shapiro, 19; Sgt. Shahar Manoav, 21; Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, 20; and Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov, 21. Top row, left to right: Lt. Matan Shai Yashinovski, Staff Sgt. Ronel Ben-Moshe, Sgt. Ronen Shapiro; Bottom row, left to right: Sgt. Maayan Baruch Pearlstein, Staff Sgt. Niv Radia, Sgt. Shahar Manoav, and Staff Sgt. Alon Davidov. Israel Defense Forces Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack. Advertisement The terrorist planted a bomb on the soldiers' Puma armored combat engineering vehicle while they were driving through the city, according to an IDF probe reported by the Times of Israel. The blast set the vehicle on fire and all seven soldiers were killed in the blaze, according to the IDF. The charred remains of the vehicle were later towed out of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences over the deaths, which brought the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the current conflict in Gaza to 860. Advertisement The 'heroic soldiers fell in the battle to defeat Hamas and free our hostages in the southern Gaza Strip,' the leader said. Israel states it only attacks militants. AFP via Getty Images 'On my behalf and on behalf of the citizens of Israel, I send my deepest condolences to the families who lost their dearest loved ones, and I share with them in their unbearable grief at this difficult time,' he said. Two other Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in a separate incident in the Khan Younis area on Tuesday, when an RPG was fired at an armored bulldozer they were operating, the Times of Israel reported. Advertisement Hamas later claimed it had ambushed the soldiers as they took cover inside a residential building in the area, in a statement on its Telegram channel. Israel continues to state it only targets militants, and blames Hamas for sheltering in civilian areas. With Post wires.
