CNN
—
Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Gaza on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces, one of the deadliest single incidents involving Israeli forces since October 7.
The Israel Defense Forces told CNN that the incident is currently under investigation and that various causes are being investigated.
But earlier, Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it had “carried out a complex ambush against enemy vehicles” in Tal al-Sultan, west of the southern city of Rafah.
It said militants targeted an army bulldozer, starting a fire that killed and wounded its crew, and attacked an armoured personnel carrier as rescue teams arrived, killing soldiers.
“It was a difficult Saturday,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said.
“Eight of our finest sons were killed in Rafah,” he said in a post on X. “They bravely entered Gaza, knowing the cost, to complete the mission of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.”
The incident occurred as Israel continues its advance on Rafah, with reports of airstrikes and artillery fire since the early hours of the morning local time.
Ahmed Radwan, a spokesman for the Rafah Civil Defense, said he had received requests to remove bodies and the wounded but that the Civil Defense had difficulty accessing the site.
Some of the fiercest fighting in recent years has been seen in Tal al-Sultan.
Hamas said on Friday that its fighters had targeted a nearby Israeli tank with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and mortar fire, while the Israel Defense Forces said they had discovered a tunnel between nearby houses that militants were using as an access way.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Civil Defense said at least 14 people, including seven children, were killed in an Israeli attack on central Gaza.
A total of 30 people were killed and 95 injured in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The conflict in Gaza began after a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 left some 1,200 people dead. At least 37,296 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since then, according to the latest data from the Gaza Health Ministry.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
