Northern European forces confirmed that 7 of their soldiers died in a bomb attack in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. These soldiers were part of a unit tasked with locating and dismantling tunnels dug by Hamas militants.
Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israeli army, described it as “a painful and heavy day for the entire country,” emphasizing that investigations are ongoing into how the bomb was triggered.
This is the deadliest attack on soldiers since fighting reignited between Israel and Hamas after the collapse of the ceasefire agreement in March.
Hamas, through its Telegram channel, claimed responsibility for the attack on these troops in that area, but it is not confirmed if this attack caused the soldiers’ deaths.
The Gaza conflict began after a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 others. On Gaza’s side, over 50,000 deaths have been reported by local authorities.
The previous deadliest attack on soldiers occurred in January 2024, when 24 soldiers were killed, 20 of whom died in a single bomb blast.
Despite ongoing weak talks between Israel and Hamas, residents of Gaza and families of the kidnapped Israelis are demanding a return to a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Food, medicine, and fuel shortages continue to worsen for Gaza residents, although Israel recently eased aid delivery through new routes supported by the international community.
