Tel Aviv [Israel], Tragedy struck Rafah in southern Gaza this morning, when a devastating explosion took the lives of eight Israeli soldiers, the deadliest incident for the IDF in the Strip since January, The Times of Israel reported. Is.
Those killed were identified as Captain Waseem Mahmoud, aged 23, who was a deputy company commander in the 601st Battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps from Beit Jann. The names of the remaining seven soldiers will be released after notification of their families.
Preliminary findings of the IDF investigation indicate that the soldiers were inside the Namer armored combat engineering vehicle (CEV) when the explosion occurred. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. as the convoy was on its way to secure buildings for rest after an overnight offensive against Hamas in Rafah's Tel Sultan neighborhood, The Times of Israel reported.A powerful explosion occurred on a Namer CEV deployed as the fifth or sixth vehicle in the convoy. It is unclear whether the explosion was caused by a pre-planted bomb or whether Hamas operatives placed an explosive device directly on the vehicle. Investigators are also looking into whether explosives stored outside the CEV may have contributed to the intensity of the blast.
According to the IDF, there were no shots fired during the incident and the vehicle was in motion at the time of the explosion.
The deaths of these soldiers bring the total number of IDF casualties during ground attacks against Hamas and operations along the Gaza border to 307.The figure also includes the deaths of a police officer and a civilian defense ministry contractor killed in a recent hostage rescue operation. According to The Times of Israel, the conflict.
The deadliest incident before today's tragedy occurred in January, when 21 soldiers were killed in an explosion caused by Hamas RPG fire, resulting in the collapse of two buildings.
The IDF continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding today's devastating loss, highlighting the challenges and risks faced by military personnel operating in unstable areas, The Times of Israel reports.
Those killed were identified as Captain Waseem Mahmoud, aged 23, who was a deputy company commander in the 601st Battalion of the Combat Engineering Corps from Beit Jann. The names of the remaining seven soldiers will be released after notification of their families.
Preliminary findings of the IDF investigation indicate that the soldiers were inside the Namer armored combat engineering vehicle (CEV) when the explosion occurred. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. as the convoy was on its way to secure buildings for rest after an overnight offensive against Hamas in Rafah's Tel Sultan neighborhood, The Times of Israel reported.A powerful explosion occurred on a Namer CEV deployed as the fifth or sixth vehicle in the convoy. It is unclear whether the explosion was caused by a pre-planted bomb or whether Hamas operatives placed an explosive device directly on the vehicle. Investigators are also looking into whether explosives stored outside the CEV may have contributed to the intensity of the blast.
According to the IDF, there were no shots fired during the incident and the vehicle was in motion at the time of the explosion.
The deaths of these soldiers bring the total number of IDF casualties during ground attacks against Hamas and operations along the Gaza border to 307.The figure also includes the deaths of a police officer and a civilian defense ministry contractor killed in a recent hostage rescue operation. According to The Times of Israel, the conflict.
The deadliest incident before today's tragedy occurred in January, when 21 soldiers were killed in an explosion caused by Hamas RPG fire, resulting in the collapse of two buildings.
The IDF continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding today's devastating loss, highlighting the challenges and risks faced by military personnel operating in unstable areas, The Times of Israel reports.
