According to an initial Israeli military investigation, the ambush involved an explosive device planted along a route used by Israeli units. The device detonated as a Puma-type Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), transporting a combat engineering unit, passed by.

The force of the blast caused the APC to ignite, trapping the soldiers inside. All seven personnel perished in the resulting fire. The severity of the incident reportedly delayed the identification of the remains for several hours.

This incident marks one of the deadliest single attacks against Israeli occupation forces in recent weeks. In addition to the fatalities, two other soldiers were injured in a separate confrontation in the same area on the same day, one of whom remains in critical condition, an official statement noted.

Israeli media outlets reacted with alarm, describing the attack as “difficult to absorb” and highlighting the psychological toll on the public and political establishment. Commentators underscored the growing pressure on the Israeli occupation military in Gaza and framed the ambush as a stark indicator of Palestinian Resistance capabilities, particularly their use of unconventional and asymmetrical tactics in areas like Khan Younis, where Israeli units face significant vulnerabilities.

This incident adds to a series of deadly blows suffered by the Israeli army since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, which has so far resulted in the deaths of 879 soldiers. This heavy toll reflects the intensity of the fighting and the complexity of the combat environment, especially in the southern areas of the Gaza Strip, where IEDs and anti-tank weapons are widely deployed.

Source: Agencies (edited and translated by Al-Manar English Website)